PM Krivokapić, Parents Associations: Changes in the system of protection of children from all forms of violence are necessary as soon as possible

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić met today with Executive Director of the Parents Association Kristina Mihailović.

The reason for this meeting was the recent sexual violence in which the victim was a nine-year-old child.

Prime Minister Krivokapić expressed his belief that changes in the system of protection of children from all forms of violence, especially from sexual violence, are necessary as soon as possible.

"A case that worries every citizen is the reason for today's meeting. You don't have to be a parent to show care we have to have for each other. I absolutely support your initiative. I am an advocate of strengthening criminal sanctions. Punishment must be a measure for those who cannot understand or curb their instincts," said Prime Minister Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister said that he would launch an initiative to change the Criminal Code at the next session, but he also pointed out that preventive action was extremely important.

"The Pedophiles Register should have an exceptional preventive function. The existing Register needs to be re-examined and improved. It is necessary to define who keeps it, what is the management procedure and how to access the Register," said Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister accepted the idea of the Association's representatives that the Council for the Rights of the Child, which operates under the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, could come under the direct jurisdiction of the Prime Minister and the Government, in order to be more efficient and contribute to resolving all issues concerning children.

Executive Director of the Parents Association Kristina Mihailović thanked the Prime Minister for his understanding and requested that the procedure for changing the legal regulations begins immediately.

"The legal regulation, which will enable higher punishments for perpetrators of crimes against sexual freedoms against minors, impossibility of mitigating punishments, arranging the register of perpetrators, providing psychosocial support for victims and their families, as well as supervision of perpetrators of these acts," said Mihailović.

Mihailović said that the Parents Association had asked the institutions several times in the past 6 years to fulfill these requirements, but that there had been no positive changes.

"About three years ago, we had concrete agreements and activities that were supposed to lead to the aforementioned changes. The plan was, among other things, to change the Criminal Code, but it did not happen within the planned deadline, which was the end of last year," said Mihailović, who also referred to the inadequate conduct of courts in specific cases.

Both sides agreed that the media should pay more attention to this topic.