"Video is illegal - I reacted in heat of moment": Novi Sad doctor talks about racist outburst

She claims that she does not hate anyone based on their skin color, and uses the famous "in the heat of the moment" excuse

A doctor from Novi Sad, Milena S., who works at the Clinical Center of Vojvodina and who insulted a student from Ireland on racial grounds, spoke after the media reported about the case to say that hers was a heat-of-the-moment reaction, and that she has apologized, 021.rs reports.

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This is the doctor's statement in its entirety.

"On June 29, 2020, an unpleasant event took place in an elevator, in Novi Sad, in the building where all of us participants in the event live. This event has provoked numerous reactions in society, the media and has been misinterpreted.

Namely, the critical event put me in the context of a person who hates people of another nationality or skin color, which is not true. Only a part of our entire conflict was recorded in the illegally made video, and it was that part where I said inappropriate words in the heat of the moment. Previous insults at my expense by the neighbor are not heard, because they were not recorded. It was an internal quarrel between two people, and on that occasion I also received a couple of insults that were difficult for me. It is possible that I uttered some inappropriate words when provoked in such a way, without thinking.

Above all, I would like to point out that I do not hate at anyone, but on this occasion I reacted in the heat of the moment, provoked by previous reactions of my neighbor with whom I found myself in the elevator. It was not my intention to offend anyone, I was simply provoked by her rude behavior.

Given that the illegally made footage ended up on social media and other media and provoked numerous reactions and comments, thus bringing my profession to the center of attention of an event that concerns exclusively neighborly misunderstandings and conflict, I would point out that I personally never refused to provide medical assistance to any person, regardless of their skin color.

This is proved by the fact that I have helped and cured people of other faiths, ethnicities and skin color countless times during my medical career. In my long-time medical career and in my stance towards patients, I have always acted in accordance with medical ethics and code, and I will continue to perform my job as a doctor diligently, dedicatedly, responsibly, as I have done so far.

I would like to apologize to my neighbor in this way for the unpleasant situation we found ourselves in together, due to reckless reactions. I am sorry that the event in question happened and I hope that situations like this will not happen again. I am especially sorry that by taking out of context and publishing only a part of the unpleasant situation which had been recorded, my city of Novi Sad, where I was born and grew up and which I consider special precisely because of its diversity, multi-ethnicity and tolerance is also being put into a bad context," she wrote.

This doctor is a specialist of internal medicine working at the Clinical Center of Vojvodina. The doctor states that she was born in Novi Sad, while her official biography on the website of a private polyclinic where she is also employed states that she was born in Belgrade, but grew up in Novi Sad.

The recording in which a woman, who introduced herself as a doctor, is heard talking to a student, S.O., telling her to get out of the elevator because of coronavirus, accompanied with derogatory words, quickly spread on social networks.

(Telegraf.rs)