‘’Everything in Bratunac – Srebrenica police action, could have been carried out in the more professional manner that would infringe the human and professional dignity of everyone, especially teachers, and schools as a pedagogical-educational institutions. This way, not only that the dignities and integrities of individuals were violated, but there is particular concern that this action came to the further stigmatization of a victim, who is in this case, an underage girl, which was, according to the police, a victim of the chain of prostitution.’’, said Mr. Sinan Alic (on right), the acting president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in B&H.
It is also stated from the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, that the significant number of media outlets, both print and electronic, while reporting on this case, violated the elementary rules of the profession, which explicitly require protection of the identity of minors.
Unnecessary spectacle in Bratunac – Srebrenica police action
President of Bratunac Municipal Assembly, Mustafa Golic said at a press conference organized last week, that it was inappropriate to have this police action conducted at the school during the classes and in the presence of a large number of media representatives who were obviously previously notified.
‘’Somebody wanted to make a spectacle out of this, and it sure did succeed. As if somebody ”directed” the whole police action, inviting the media to cover it, while all was made on the basis of suspicion’’, said Mr. Golic.
Due to excessive spectacularism which recently accompanies almost all police actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in B&H reminded that a fundamental principle is persistently violated, and that is the presumption of innocence until a court decision making.
Therefore, it is justified to raise the question of righteousness of the police procedures that were conducted last week and which included the arrest of the directors, secondary school teachers, but also other people at their workplaces. This question is even more justified by a fact that most of the spectacularly arrested individuals were released after making their police statements.
Fifteen persons involved in child prostitution arrested, one hiding
In Bijeljina Public Security Center, in the ongoing criminal investigation last week, there were 15 persons arrested from the municipalities of Bratunac and Srebrenica, on suspicion of having committed a criminal parts of trafficking and prostitution, while one person is hiding.
County Prosecutor’s Office in Bijeljina initiated an investigation against the grandmother of the underage girl, Mevla Manjic, who lives in Rakovac, near Bratunac, and is suspected of violence against the child, and trafficking and prostitution of her underage granddaughter.
Mrs. Danka Prodanovic, prosecution spokesman, confirmed that the victim of this affair, is an underaged Roma girl M.M., a pupil of secondary school in Bratunac, who disappeared a month ago, and allegedly was located in one of the "safe houses".
Forced to have sexual intercourses with more than 100 persons
Underage girl from Bratunac who is the victim of sexual exploitation is taken care of in the "safe house" in the territory of BiH and the competent center for social work is given to her as her temporary guardian.
Detention is required for her grandmother, who was also her guardian, because the mother of this underage is mentally ill, and the father does not live with them. It is, according to the police investigation results, assumed that the girl was, as of her fourteenth year, forced by her grandmother to provide sexual services for money or other benefits, such as documents from the municipality on the translation of land and the like.
In spite of her difficult life, M.M. has succeeded to complete the first class of high school with good results, and began another class, when she disappeared last month. According to her statement made to the police, she was forced to have sex with more than 100 persons.
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