Having read the statement of the Ministry of European Integrations and the Negotiating Team for the Accession of the Republic of Serbia to the European Union, published on the former’s website, coalition prEUgovor expresses the satisfaction over the fact that prEugovor’s report on the progress of Serbia in Chapters 23 and 24 is being carefully scrutinized within the state institutions responsible for the European integrations.
Coalition prEUgovor has published the latest independent report on Serbia's progress in implementing policies in the areas of: judiciary and fundamental rights (Chapter 23) and justice, freedom and security (Chapter 24) of the negotiation process.
The main finding in August was that the positive trend of implementing emergency measures of protection against domestic violence was kept steady. According to RPPO data for the period August 1-31, 2017, there were 3,832 examined cases of domestic violence, 691 cases more than in the previous month. Even without complete information, it is clear that the institutions of the system were faced with domestic violence, primarily the police and public prosecution, but also centers for social work, which fully justifies the legally prescribed coordination and specialization.
The Autonomous Women's Center sent open letters to Nebojša Stefanović, Minister of the Interior and Zoran Đorđević, Minister of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs, asking them to publish a report on supervision in the City Centers for Social Work and report of the internal control of police stations Novi Beograd and Rakovica.
In the Second Independent Report on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence, the Autonomous Women's Center points out that the the implementation of emergency measures of protection from domestic violence has been successfully continued, since the Republic Public Prosecutor's Office reported that 3141 cases of domestic violence were considered in July.
Autonomous Women's Center (AWC) believes it is time to adopt the new Law on Gender Equality. We were surprised by the information that Minister Đorđević proposed the establishment of a new working group and drafting of the third version of the draft Law, particularly since the representatives of the ministry in charge of labor and social policy were involved in developing the current draft Law. Moreover, the new draft would require additional allocations from the budget of the Republic of Serbia and would inevitably delay its adoption. Therefore, AWC is requesting from Prime Minister Ana Brnabić to react and prevent further delay in the adoption of the Law, which is already significantly delayed.
The Press Council Commission did not have the necessary majority to decide on the violation of the anti-discrimination provisions of the Code of Ethics in journalism in the article "Against Violence, Not against Men and Women" published in Politika daily. This text, according to the Commission's decision, violates the articles relating to the truthfulness of reporting (Section I, point 5) and journalistic attention (Section V, point 1). At the same time, the Press Council did not recognize the violation of the Code in the article “Medea's Revenge”, published in the same newspaper, also appealed against by AWC.
"We use this opportunity to emphasize that the implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence was successfully launched in the first month. According to the data of the Republic Public Prosecutor's Office, 2,430 cases of domestic violence were examined in June 2017. Although the number of emergency measures taken under the authority of the police is not known, in almost half of the cases of domestic violence, the deputy public prosecutors filed proposals for extending emergency measures (1,212 proposals). The largest number of the proposals for extending emergency measures was adopted by the court (1,174 proposals)" - it is stated in the First Independent Report on the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence.
The Network of Organizations for Children of Serbia (MODS) and the Women Against Violence Network sent a letter to the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans' and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs Recommendations for improving systemic measures in the area of prevention and protection against domestic violence.
Autonomous Women’s Center is addressing the High Court Council requesting, in accordance with its competencies, to examine the responsibility of the judges who acted in the criminal and family protection proceedings in cases of murder of two women and a child in the premises of the City Center for Social Work Belgrade - Novi Beograd and Rakovica departments.
