Family of Roma ‘prince’ take body home for burial

The family of a Romanian Roma boy who died in a Prague hospital on Monday left the Czech capital on Tuesday evening with his body for burial at home. A convoy of cars accompanied the coffin of the 17-year-old said to be the ‘prince’ of an extended Roma clan. The boy died following a drowning accident which left him in a coma. Many members of the family and clan came to Prague to be by his bedside as he fought for his life.

Confusion surrounded the funeral preparations on Tuesday. The family at first appealed for help saying they did not have the money to pay a funeral firm to transport the body. Prague city hall offered to step in to meet their cash shortfall but that offer was turned down with the family saying they had collected enough. The costs for a funeral company to transport the body to Romania was estimated at around 90,000 crowns.

Author: Chris Johnstone