Robert Bathory

3 weeks ago | rferl.org | Robert Bathory |Will Tizard

TERESZTENYE, Hungary -- When the first signs of trouble appeared, the ink wasn't yet dry on the deed for Laszlo Sifter's and his wife's new house in the seemingly safe and picturesque Hungarian village of Teresztenye. Sifter and wife Agnes said they believed they’d found a rustic home in a quaint village with just two streets in northern Hungary, where their four kids could grow in a healthy, rural environment.

3 weeks ago | rferl.org | Robert Bathory |Will Tizard

When the first signs of trouble appeared, the ink wasn't yet dry on the deed for Laszlo Sifter and his wife's new house in the seemingly safe and picturesque Hungarian village of Teresztenye. The mayor bragged that the village has special legal powers to keep the village 'Rom free.' Then the threats and attacks from neighbors began increasing -- and they soon learned that the Hungarian authorities would offer little or no help.