The president of the Canton Sarajevo (CS) Cantonal Board of the Independent Trade Union of Primary Education and Training, Saudin Sivro, defended the convicted pedophile teacher Samir Alihodzic, and then started questioning on his Facebook why he was not fired from Elementary School Grbavica 1 and who made the mistakes.
Right at the beginning, it should be mentioned that the physical education teacher Samir Alihodzic was sentenced in November 2021 in the Municipal Court in Sarajevo to one year in prison and one year of performing activities for the criminal offense of lewd acts.
However, this did not prevent the president of the Trade Union, Saudin Sivro, who stated that ”he strongly condemns all those who present inaccurate information, half-information and tendentious statements aimed at discrediting educators.”
”Not only is he not a pedophile, but he is a teacher who is loved by his students, who regularly received the highest marks for his work, who was a mentor to numerous students at colleges, who regularly stood out as an excellent teacher and pedagogue in classes, extracurricular and activities and work,” said Sivro and stood up to protect a person who was legally convicted of a criminal offense and thus publicly relativized court verdicts.
”Publicly condemning a teacher whose life individuals have made hell in this world without knowing all the facts is not justified and deserves the condemnation of the Union and all those who know what kind of teacher he is,” he added.
After numerous and justified criticisms on social media due to these scandalous and worrying statements of the president of the union, Sivro started presenting parts of the law based on which he asked questions about whether the teacher Samir Alihodzic could have been fired and whose responsibility it was that he was not, the director or the minister, why he was not suspended and who was aware of his case in court.
This case will be discussed today in Elementary School Grbavica 1, and the meeting will be attended by representatives of the school, parents, the Council of Parents, and trade unionists.
This news also upset Emina Brkanic, who seven years ago was a student at Elementary School Grbavica 1 in Sarajevo and a victim of pedophile-teacher Samir Alihodzic. She even posted on Facebook and appealed to parents to protect their children, considering that the institutions have failed, Klix.ba reports.
Sports and physical education teacher of Elementary School Grbavica 1 in Sarajevo, Samir Alihodžić, was reinstated even though he was sentenced to one year in prison.
Alihodžić was found guilty in 2018 (first degree) after being accused two years earlier of exchanging messages and photos with a female student. The case was reported by her parents, after which the teacher was detained. At that time, he was a sports and physical education teacher at Elementary School Grbavica 1 and coach of the ORT Volleyball Club.
After the first-instance verdict, the Canton Sarajevo Prosecution did not propose any measures, so he could work unhindered as a teacher while waiting for the second-instance verdict.
After the final verdict in November of last year and a one-year prison sentence as well as a one-year ban on working as a teacher, nothing prevented Alihodžić from paying his prison sentence properly and thus finding himself free without going behind bars, and then returning to work because the law it does not prevent it.
The court also issued him a certificate of impunity, which gave him all the conditions to carry out his former job without hindrance. Interestingly, during the court process, Alihodžić was on unpaid leave.
Unfortunately, the school was unable to prevent the convicted pedophile from returning to the classroom because the law is not adequately regulated.
Regarding this topic, Klix.ba contacted the Prime Minister Edin Forto and the Minister of Education of Sarajevo Canton Naida Hota-Muminović and asked for answers. Unfortunately, they were left without a statement, except that the prime minister forwarded the contact of the relevant minister.
Alihodžić was sentenced according to Article 208, paragraph 2, in connection with paragraph 1 and in connection with paragraph 2 of Article 205 of the FBiH Criminal Code, which states that a teacher, educator, parent, adoptive parent, guardian, stepfather, stepmother or other person who taking advantage of her position or relationship with a minor entrusted to her for the purpose of education, upbringing, custody or care, performs sexual intercourse with him or an equivalent sexual act with him, shall be punished by a prison sentence of six months to five years.
E.Dz.
