The offense is not established just because the person concerned works in a public institution. For classification, the victim’s status, the concrete duties, the connection between the act and the service, and the conduct provided for in Article 257 of the Criminal Code are all relevant factors.
Who can be the victim of the offense
Article 175 of the Criminal Code defines the public official in a penal sense and includes, under certain conditions, persons who perform a service of public interest. However, Article 257 further requires that the function involve the exercise of state authority. Therefore, the status of an employee of an institution, school, or hospital is not sufficient without analyzing the legal duties exercised by that person.
For the application of the form of insult provided for in Article 257, paragraph (1), the threat, the hitting or other acts of violence must be directed against the official while he is performing his duties or in connection with them. The threat must be immediate or transmitted through a direct means of communication, according to the legal text.
What acts and circumstances fall under Article 257
Alin. (1) enumerates the threat, assault or other violence, bodily harm, blows or injuries causing death, and murder. Alin. (2) also covers other crimes committed against the official or against his property, if the purpose is intimidation or revenge, and the act is related to the duties of the office. Alin. (3) extends the rule to acts directed against a family member, under the conditions of paragraph (2).
A criticism, a complaint, a reproach or an insult does not automatically become an offense just because of the status of the person to whom it is addressed. It must be verified whether the elements of an offense provided by law are met, not just whether the discussion was impolite or tense.
Consult Art. 175 and Art. 257 of the Criminal Code.
How the punishment is calculated
Article 257, paragraphs (1)-(3), provides for the application of the punishment for the basic offense, with the special limits being increased by one third. If the acts are committed against a police officer or military personnel or against forest personnel vested with public authority, in accordance with the law, paragraph (4) provides for imprisonment for the basic offense, with the limits being increased by half. Imposition of the penalty does not automatically mean conviction: responsibility and punishment are determined by the judicial authorities based on evidence, the nature of the offense and the circumstances of the case.
What needs to be verified in a specific case
The analysis follows the legal duties of the victim, the place and time of the incident, the connection with the service, the exact content of the threat or the nature of the violence and the intention required by the applicable rule. It also matters whether the act was directed against the person, their property or a family member, as well as the special category of victim provided for in paragraph (4).
They preserve the messages and recordings obtained legally, the data of the witnesses, the medical documents and the documents describing the duties of service. These can help to distinguish the offense from another crime or from a conflict without criminal relevance. The final legal classification belongs to the judicial authorities and depends on the proven circumstances.
