legal provisions36 which provide that the child victim of a criminal offence against sexual
freedom be interrogated in the manner which prevents secondary traumatization and protects
the well-being of a child who suffered the trauma.
Sensationalistic reporting about violence against children, apart from violating the right of the
child to the protection of identity, privacy and personal data protection, additionally
victimizes the child. The Protector of Citizens issued to the Ministry of Culture the Opinion37
that by prescribing sanctions for the violation of provisions of Article 77 and 79 of the Law on
Public Information and Media38 and consistent implementation of legal obligation and
prohibition in practice, the Republic of Serbia would contribute to the promotion of
observance of human rights and child rights in public media space and improve the protection
of these rights.
The Protector of Citizens in his operation during the previous period indicated that children
on the move,39 and children who live and work in the street in the group of persons are in
extremely sensitive position and more frequently are victims of various forms of violence and
that it is the obligation of authorities of the Republic of Serbia to provide them to the greatest
possible extent the protection from every form of violence, services of support and assistance.
There is still the practice that individual health care institutions do not provide health
protection to children without verified health card. The Protector of Citizens in immediate
communication with institutions asked for immediate interruption of the practice of refusal
to provide health care services to children and indicated to the obligations of institutions to
provide health care services to children to the full extent regardless of whether the obligations
from health insurance are settles, pursuant to the Law on the Exercise of Rights to Health
Protection of Children, Pregnant Women and Nursing Mothers.40
The Protector of Citizens issued the recommendation41 to the Ministry of Education, Science
and Technological Development regarding the postponement of the final exam in
mathematics during the 2018/2019 school year, finding that the Ministry of Education, Science
and Technological Development should take measures to ask for the procedure of
organization and conduct of the final and entrance exam and state exam within the scope of
control and responsibility of the Ministry and educational authorities, institutions and
organizations as well as to pass guidelines and standards on the information of children and
public in crisis situations.
By oversight procedures and in meetings with students, the Protector of Citizens confirmed
that adequate measures of protection against violence at school are frequently not taken, so
The Criminal Procedure Code, “Official Gazette of RS“, no. 72/11, 101/11, 121/12, 32/13, 45/13, 55/14, 35/19.
and Law on Juvenile Offenders and Criminal-Legal Protection of Juveniles, “Official Gazette of RS“, no. 85/05.
37 Available at: https://www.ombudsman.rs/index.php/2011-12-11-11-34-45/6000-ishlj-nj-z-sh-i-ni-gr-d-n-iz-n-id-pun-z-n-vn-inf-r-is-nju-i-di-i.
38 “Official Gazette of RS“, no. 83/14, 58/15 and 12/16.
39 The term children on the move refers to all children who migrate from their countries of origin to the territory
of a European county, with the aim of survival, reaching security, realization of better life conditions, education,
economic possibilities, protection from exploitation and abuse, joining of families or combination of these factors.
They may travel with their family or alone of other persons who are not family members. They are potential
asylum-seekers, victims of trafficking, and it is possible that they do not have personal documents with them. The
status of children on the move is different in different stages of their travel and they may face different sensitive
situations (This definition of the notion „children on the move“ is adopted on the European level and is used by
the organizations of the Council of Europe and European Union, including the European Network of
Ombudspersons for Children).
40 “Official Gazette of RS“, no. 104/13.
41 Available at: https://www.pravadeteta.com/attachments/article/894/misljenje.doc.
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