Indictment filed against Three Directors for non-execution of Measures for the Protection of Minors

The acting prosecutors of the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office have filed an indictment against three persons who had the status of directors in the Pazaric Institute for the Care of Mentally Disabled Children and Youth in different periods of time.

They are charged with committing the criminal offenses of negligent work in the service and prevention and non-execution of measures for the protection of minors.

The indictment was forwarded to the Municipal Court in Sarajevo for confirmation, the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office said.

On the occasion of the indictment filed against the three former directors of the Pazaric Institute, Sabina Cudic, a representative who initiated the whole case when she published photos of the abuse of the wards of that institution, spoke out.

“541 days have passed from the moment I published the photos of the abuse of the wards of the Institute in Pazaric until today, when the indictment was filed against three former directors of the Institute for unscrupulous work in the service and non-execution of measures for protection of minors. And this time it is confirmed that justice is slow, I hope that the second part of that saying will be confirmed and that it is achievable, she said. I don’t want to doubt it, but I feel that coming out in public with evidence of child abuse almost two years ago was the most important thing I’ve done in my life. If the public had not been alarmed, I am convinced that indictments would not have been filed today. Of course, after that, we worked continuously through the Federal Parliament to get this case a court epilogue. Our last activity was five days ago, when I called on the Prosecutor’s Office to say what happened to the indictments with associations dealing with the protection of people with disabilities. We have the answer today. Despite all the obstructions and attempts to cover up the case, and even blame me because I published the photos, regardless of the outcome of the case, we have reason to be satisfied because there is no doubt that any similar thing will happen again after this case, said Cudic. When I say similar, I mean systemic support for abuse, not an incident of an unscrupulous officer. The ultimate goal will also be met in the foreseeable future, and that is the deinstitutionalization of people with disabilities. I thank the conscientious citizens who documented the abuse of wards and who did not give up the fight for their rights, as well as the associations of citizens who participated in the systemic fight for justice for the wards,” Cudic concluded.