Romani crisis is called the internal “legal system” practiced by a small part of the Roma people. They hold court-like meetings that are often broadcast live on Facebook and can deal with anything from inheritance disputes to rape or assault. One of the punishments is exclusion from the Roma group.
Britt-Inger Hedström Lundqvist, responsible publisher of the Roma magazine Dikko, has i a previous interview with SVT said that those who judge in crisis have power.
– They can judge quite arbitrarily based on their personal opinions. Another power factor is money, because fines are imposed, said Britt-Inger Hedström Lundqvist in the interview.
Worst to be excluded
– The worst thing for many of us Roma is to be excluded. Then you will be alone in a Sweden where you have always felt left out or marginalized, says an anonymous person in the documentary “Crisis – a Roma court?”
Another participant in the documentary says he himself has been the victim of crime and is said to have been helped by Romani Crisis.
– I was let down by Swedish society, no one protected or helped me except for a Roma crisis, she says in the documentary.
While working on the film, documentary filmmaker Niklas Hyland reacted to the widespread fear and that almost no one wanted to be photographed.
– Almost everyone wanted to remain anonymous. They didn’t want to be seen and heard, but were terrified, says Niklas Hyland.
Society does not reach in
He thinks he recognizes the phenomenon of parallel systems from, for example, when he depicted Brazil’s poor favelas.
– When society doesn’t reach out, new societies are created, someone else takes over, says Niklas Hyland.
Se Crisis – a “Roma court”? on SVT Play or 1/5 at 21:30 on SVT2.
