Hungarian camerawoman Petra Laszlo who tripped and kicked refugees speaks up after being slammed with criminal charges

Petro Laszlo, the Hungarian camerawoman who was caught on camera tripping a refugee and kicking two children while they ran away from police, has spoken up. She is facing a criminal investigation.

The man who was tripped was later identified by the Hungarian news website Index.hu as Osama Al-Ghabad, a former coach for Al-Fotuwa SC, a Syrian football club.

After the footage of the incident became viral, Laszlo was immediately sacked by the Hungarian nationalist television channel she worked for and has been a subject of international condemnation since then. Her employer, N1TV, called her behaviour "unacceptable" and closed the matter by immediately terminating her.

The footage that sparked an immediate international outcry pushed the Hungarian prosecutors to open up a criminal charge against Laszlo for breach of the peace, reported the Guardian. Hungarian opposition parties and the Democratic Coalition said that they would slap Lazslo with criminal charges for her actions, which would be punishable by up to five years in prison.

On Friday, she finally spoke out on her act of misconduct, saying that she isn’t a heartless woman and got scared when she saw so many people running towards her. The refugees were breaking off the police cordon close to the Serbian border where thousands have been crossing each day for the past month. "With the camera in my hand I didn't see who is actually running towards me. I just felt I have to defend myself,” she added.

She said that she’s been in a state of shock ever since the incident took place. She defended herself by saying that in such a moment of crisis and panic, she failed to make good decision.

A Facebook group has also been created by her name to condemn her actions. However, she said she didn’t deserve the political witch hunt that she’d been receiving. Later, Laszlo apologised for the attack. "I am deeply sorry, and as a mum I even more saddened by what I've done and that destiny put a child in my way that moment,” she said.

She also said that she could hardly recognise herself in the videos and claimed the responsibility for the attacks on the refugees. “I don't deserve the threats, sometimes even death threats I got,” Laszlo added.

Credit: Youtube/ADAM SY

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