A death in Bohemia

The story of 5-year-old Jan Rokos, extensively reported by all newspapers last week, is one people will remember well. Unfortunately.

What is it about? In late May of last year, a court put little Jan into his father's custody, allowing his mother to take care of him on some weekends. But the mother, Antonie Stašková, failed to return the boy after the very first visit. This is the start of a case about which Czech law enforcement will probably never be proud.

Roman Rokos, the father, waits a few days then reports an abduction. The police want to see a writ saying the mother is really not entitled to care for the boy. Rokos, however, only has a document granting him custody of the child, with no details on how the care will be divided. So he turns to the court again, asking for a new verdict with details (care on strictly specified weekends), and he starts looking for his ex-partner and son on his own.

The court needs a week to issue a new verdict, during which Roman Rokos finds evidence that the mother is holding Jan illegally. But the police fail to act again, waiting for the court order to take effect. Weeks pass, then months. In late July, Rokos finds the son and his mother near Cheb and reports the discovery to the police. The police summon Stašková, but since the court verdict has not yet taken effect – she has taken the opportunity to file an…