Original article (in Slovenian) was published on 18/9/2024; Author: Lara Mavrič, Samo Demšar
An insurance company needs a police report and a list of stolen items to assess a shop’s claim, and the damage is also examined by a loss assessor, explained Maja Krumberger, director of the Slovenian Insurance Association.
Karin Planinšek, who ran as a candidate on the list of the Democratic Party (SDS) in this year’s European Parliament elections, posted on 1 September a screenshot of a follower’s message on the social network X about problems with members of the Roma community in the Kočevje area. Planinšek summarised the follower’s message as saying that the Roma can steal two thousand euros worth of goods from local shops without any consequences, as the value of the stolen goods is reimbursed by insurance.
Maja Krumberger, director of the Slovenian Insurance Association, explained to Razkrinkavanje.si that a shop must immediately report theft to the police and inform its insurance company of the crime within the time determined in the insurance contract. The insurance company also needs a police report, a list of stolen items, and an examination by a loss assessor to assess the validity of the shop’s claim and to determine the damage caused. After the criminal proceedings have been completed, the insurer may, if it finds it reasonable to do so, make a recourse claim against the person who caused the damage.
The Ljubljana Police Directorate explained that from 2020 to the end of August this year, 538 property crimes, including theft, grand larceny and robbery, were dealt with in shops in Kočevje municipality. They added that they had already investigated and filed criminal charges against suspects in 441 cases, or 82% of all cases.
They noted that the police “do not keep statistics on the religious, cultural, ethic or other affiliations” of suspected perpetrators.
The Chamber of Commerce believes that theft should be sanctioned more effectively. It added, however, that whether a shop takes out insurance and what scope of loss the insurance will cover are independent business decisions for each individual company.
We have shared our findings with Planinšek. We will publish her response when we receive it.
Planinšek’s claim that Roma can steal two thousand euros worth of goods from shops in the Kočevje area without any consequences, because insurance reimburses the shops for the damage caused, is false.
