Croatian supporters in court

Reference is made to the letter entitled "Tarred with the same brush" by Mr Steve Butkovic (The Sunday Times, September, 18).

It is to be noted that Mr Butkovic was not one of the 103 Croatian supporters that were arrested by the police after the Malta vs Croatia football match on September 7 and subsequently arraigned in court and therefore he is not in a position to say what exactly happened.

Mr Butkovic is alleging that those arrested were forced to confess. The fact that only three out of the 103 Croatian supporters who were arrested and questioned admitted their involvement in court without any allegations raised about the behaviour of the police proves otherwise. As one of the spectators at the football match he is well aware of how the incidents started and by whom.

Mr Butkovic should rest assured that those arrested were treated with dignity, given food and drink, and detained in humane conditions. Apart from this, the three Croatian supporters who requested medical attention were taken to hospital, examined by a doctor and discharged immediately. Surprisingly enough, none of them alleged that they were beaten by the police neither when spoken to by the medical personnel nor in court.

Mr Butkovic forgot to mention, or is unaware, that all 103 Croatian supporters who were arraigned in court were represented by a lawyer. Although 100 of them pleaded guilty, the court gave them ample time to reconsider their plea and its consequences. Nevertheless, they did not change their plea of guilt. The other three Croats who did not plead guilty were granted bail and released. This proves that all those who pleaded guilty did so of their own free will.