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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Entire society must engage in preventing violence against children

Belgrade, 1 November 2006

President of the Serbian parliament's sub-committee for children's rights Zivodarka Dacin stated today that the state is prepared to do all in its power to stop violence against children, adding that parliament's priority is to adopt a bill on a children's ombudsman.

Author: Beta

At a round table discussion held at the Serbian parliament at which a global study on violence over children was presented, Dacin said that this issue should be made visible so that the entire society can get involved in seeking a solution.

Serbian Minister of Health and President of the Serbian government's Council for the Rights of the Child Tomica Milosavljevic stressed that Serbia has given full contribution to the process of drafting a UN study on violence against children adopted in 2003 and signed by 136 countries.

Serbian Parliament Speaker Predrag Markovic said that the key problem regarding violence in families is that it cannot be seen on the outside. He added that Serbia as a state has insufficient funds, capabilities and staff needed to recognise the signs of violence.

Markovic recalled that Serbian parliament adopted the Law on families which treats this kind of violence as a social problem. Parliament also adopted measures for the prevention of violence, said Markovic and added that violence within families is treated as a criminal act.

Director of the Save the Children organisation in Serbia Simon Burdett said that over one million children become victims of international smuggling every year and almost two million end up in hospitals due to consequences of physical violence.

Burdett pointed to the fact that international data show that between 20% and 65% of schoolchildren report physical and mental harassment every month and that children in orphanages are particularly exposed to a high risk of violence, including various kinds of torture, beating, isolation, rape and abuse.

According to Burdett, over 150 million girls and 73 million boys worldwide are raped or exposed to sexual violence within the family. Between 133 million and 275 million children witness family violence, he added.

At the same time, more than one million children are smuggled over international borders and many children are subjected to physical or humiliating punishments by their families, he added.

Director of the UNICEF office in Serbia Anne Lee Swenson explained that violence against children takes place mostly within families and that Serbia does not greatly differ from other countries in this respect since violence over children is a universal occurrence.