Protest in Čačak over violence against a pupil in Mrčajevci: activists accuse institutions of systemic failure

Several dozen civic activists protested today in front of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Čačak, because of what they called the “insufficient” reaction of the competent institutions in the case of violence against a pupil at the “Tatomir Anđelić” primary school in Mrčajevci, at the beginning of June. Among the protesters were also activists from Belgrade and Novi Sad.

Activist Katarina Gjorgjević from Belgrade said there is suspicion that the school, the prosecutor’s office, the police, the hospital and the Center for Social Work made many concessions in the case of violence against the 14-year-old. “We suspect the system failed in this case and we have the right to ask all these institutions what happened in that school and what they undertook,” Gjorgjević said. She announced that several civic groups will submit requests for additional investigation and for reviewing the actions of the institutions.

The Higher Prosecutor’s Office in Čačak initially announced in mid-June that at the school there was “no rape or abuse of the minor, but inappropriate behavior of a group of boys for exhibitionism” — to later requalify it as “sexual harassment.” Last week it announced that against two pupils of the school a preparatory procedure has been launched for sexual harassment of a classmate, while against a third nothing will be taken, since he has not turned 14.

The school announced that for the pupil perpetrators of the violence distance learning has been organized, while the victim boy continues regular schooling. The Education Union in Čačak called yesterday for the case to return to the competence of the responsible institutions “for finding the truth and a solution, for the benefit of the whole community.”

Source: Beta / Danas