babe@babe.hr
+385 1 4663 666
On April 3, 2024, five associations signed agreements with National Foundation for Civil Society Development for inclusion in Thematic systemic support for five thematic areas that will be significant for the development of Croatian society in the next four years. New project of the BaBe association within the framework of Thematic Systemic Support it refers to balancing private and business life and represents a continuation of the 2015 project "Women in the Labor Market - Assessment of Gender Impact" and the project that ended in 2023 "The Impact of Public Policies on the Quality of Family and Working Life and on the Demographic Picture of the Republic of Croatia - Spaces of Change" which, thanks to scientific research (Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb and Faculty of Philosophy in Zadar, Department of Sociology), confirmed that the issue of balancing obligations in private and business life is closely related to social policy and measures aimed at providing assistance for the care and attention of dependent family members, flexibilization of work and working hours of employees, tax policy, health insurance, poverty rates, demographic trends and generally available services at the national and local levels, and is closely related to the roles and expectations that women and men have in the family, but also to the expectations imposed by the labor market.
The project includes continued cooperation with higher education institutions, an advocacy campaign that contributes to raising public awareness of the complexity of the topic, thematic conferences on models of work-life balance, where we expect synergy between scientific institutions, the economy, public policy makers and civil society. We expect that the media visibility of this topic will contribute to raising public and decision-makers' awareness and result in a comprehensive public policy for balancing the family and work lives of men and women. We are faced with various forms and methods of work, the key ones being: advocacy for a coherent public policy regulating the reconciliation of family and work life at national and local levels, with clear indicators of progress; monitoring of legislative solutions and their social impact on balancing private and business obligations; public campaigns with the aim of raising awareness among the public, employers and decision-makers about the inequalities produced by gender stereotypes and traditional gender roles; structured dialogues with all relevant stakeholders on how to eliminate stereotypes about the role of women and men in the family and in the labor market, including the media and the education system; effective dialogue with employers and providing support and assistance to their efforts to enable employees, especially women, to more easily balance their responsibilities; open discussions and expert conferences about new trends, research and contemporary models of harmonizing private and business life with the aim of improving employers' practices; establishing a common platform for activities in this area with civil society organizations.
On 12 December 2023, the European Court of Human Rights published its judgment in the case of Vučković v. Croatia, application number: 15798/20, which found that the Republic of Croatia, in criminal proceedings conducted for sexual violence committed against the applicant, Ms. Maja Vučković, by imposing a disproportionately lenient sentence on the perpetrator, violated the applicant's rights guaranteed by Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention.
At the end of 2019, the applicant contacted the BaBe association with a complaint that the perpetrator who sexually abused her at work had been sentenced to community service in criminal proceedings, after which, with the support of BaBe association lawyers Ines Bojić and Zvjezdana Kuprešak, a request was submitted to the European Court of Human Rights for violation of the applicant's right as a victim of sexual violence to effective punishment of the perpetrator of violence.
The applicant, as well as the BaBe association, contacted the Gender Equality Ombudsperson, who also provided her with support, made recommendations and spoke out in the media regarding her case. The European Court found that by imposing a community service sentence on the perpetrator of sexual violence, the Republic of Croatia violated the state's positive obligations arising from Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention, finding that the sentence was imposed on the perpetrator without carefully examining all relevant circumstances of the case, taking into account the interests of the victim and the context of the specific social danger of violence against women and the need to suppress such violence with effective and dissuasive penalties.
The European Court expressed the view that such an approach by domestic courts could be understood as an indication of leniency in punishing violence against women instead of conveying a strong message to the community that violence against women will not be tolerated and that such leniency could have a discouraging effect on victims to report violence, which is supported by the recent GREVIO report on Croatia, which highlighted that Croatia has adopted a lenient penal policy in handling cases of domestic violence and violence against women, which is why the Government is called upon to ensure that the penalties and measures imposed in such cases are effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
Therefore, with this ruling, the European Court has expressed a clear position on the unacceptability of the policy of lenient punishment of perpetrators of gender-based violence in the Republic of Croatia, which the BaBe association has continuously warned about, and we believe that this ruling will have a positive effect and contribute to a further change in awareness about the need to effectively punish perpetrators of violence against women.
The judgment was published in English and is available at https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/?i=001-229399
BaBe Association Be active. Be emancipated. on October 23, 2023, held international final conference of the project "The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and the demographic picture of Croatia - spaces of change" at the Hotel Academia in Zagreb starting at 12 noon.
The conference was opened by Marina Gombar, project manager, who welcomed all those present and in her welcoming speech emphasized the challenges, but also the opportunities and solutions that are provided by the implementation and completion of the aforementioned project. She emphasized that cross-sectoral cooperation and dialogue are key to making decisions to improve the quality of life of citizens and build a better and safer future. After that, she presented to those present the results and achievements that have been achieved through the implementation of project activities.
She then addressed the gathering. Tatjana Katkić Stanić, Director of the Institute for Social Work, on behalf of Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social PolicyIn her speech on the unequal position of women and men, Katkić Stanić stated that women are in a more vulnerable status and are at greater risk of social exclusion due to their greater share of responsibility for childcare. She also expressed hope that the project results will truly improve the work of decision-makers.
She then addressed the conference participants. Višnja Ljubičić, Ombudsperson for gender equalityIn her address, Ljubičić spoke about the challenges faced by women in the Croatian labor market, such as obstacles in balancing family and work responsibilities, and pointed out that in her practice, almost half of the complaints received fall into the area of labor, employment, and social security. She also welcomed the importance of public debate on the project's topics.
Head of the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar, Associate Professor Valerija Barada At the conference, she presented data from a survey of 3,600 parents of minor children. In a presentation titled "Housework and cognitive-emotional household management". Barada emphasized that housework, especially routine ones, is still most often done by women, although men are increasingly involved in childcare activities. Women also more often carry out mental work that involves managing resources, time, emotions and relationships.
The following research data were presented by Marija Šarić from the Department of Sociology University of Zadar in the exhibition entitled "Men and women in Croatia: tensions between work and and family roles" have shown how gendered expectations related to caring for the household and family can unilaterally intensify tensions in both work and family roles, which is particularly evident in the lives of women who generally experience tensions between family and work roles more frequently than men.
Then they Sara Čović and Pavao Parunov from the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar with exposure "The role of public child care and education services in reconciling family and work obligations" showed through the conducted research that 64% of children of nursery age do not attend nursery, 26% of children of kindergarten age do not attend kindergarten, and 77% of children aged 6 to 11 do not use extended stay in primary school. Children from less developed regions and children from unemployed or single-parent households have a lower chance of using public care and education services.
Željka Zdravković from the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar she presented data from a survey of 400 older youth. With a theme "Living conditions of young people in Croatia: work, housing and family" she emphasized that the successful transition of young people depends not only on the young people, but also on the society in which they live. Gender differences in the labor market, the importance of parental support in resolving housing issues, education as a predictor of entering into a life partnership and parenthood, and place of residence as a predictor of first employment, housing, parenthood, and marriage should be taken into account.
The following presentation was given by sociologist Suzana Kunac from the Fifth Discipline with a theme "Policy" recommendations related to public policy for reconciling family and professional obligations for men and woman"After presenting six policy guidelines for the development of public policy for balancing family and work life, Kunac also addressed the demographic situation and emphasized that in order to improve the situation, women should not have to choose between work and family, but rather both should be available to them, and for this it is necessary to deconstruct certain gender stereotypes.
At the end of the conference Delila Hasanbegović Vukas from the Sarajevo Open Center gave a presentation entitled "Parental leave and gender equality - the perspective of Bosnia and
Herzegovina" within which she presented a study on the use of maternity leave by fathers, which showed that more than half of the fathers surveyed were not aware of the right to use maternity leave and that after the birth of a child, more than fifty percent of maternity leave was used by mothers. Hasanbegović Vukas also presented the campaign "Parenting has no gender" with the aim of raising awareness of the important role of fathers in a child's life and their right to use parental leave.
Project "The impact of public policies on the quality of family and work life and on the demographic picture" Croatia – spaces of change“ It is financed by the European Social Fund of the EU (85%) and the budget of the Republic of Croatia (15%), and the total value of the project is 3,599,941.69 HRK. The intermediary bodies are the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy and the National Foundation for Civil Society Development within the Operational Program Efficient Human Potentials. The project lasts 36 months and is implemented in the City of Zagreb and the following counties: Sisak-Moslavina, Koprivnica-Križevci, Osijek-Baranja, Vukovar-Srijem, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Zadar, Split-Dalmatia and Istria counties.
The aim of the project is to strengthen civil society organizations included in the Thematic Network through partnerships, cross-sectoral cooperation with higher education institutions and local and regional government units.
regional self-government in order to achieve an effective social dialogue with the purpose of developing and proposing adequate public policies, adapted to the cultural specificities of each region, in order to contribute to the harmonization of private and business life of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia. The project takes place through three key groups of activities: building a network of CSOs to identify needs and propose public policies for harmonizing private and business life and their regional implementation; multi-stage action research of the real needs of women and men of working age; promotion and social dialogue on public policy measures that contribute to the harmonization of private and business life.
The project leader is the BaBe association, and the project partners are the University of Zadar, the City of Novska, Vukovar-Srijem County, the Association for Human Rights and Civic Participation PaRIter, the Association 'HERA' Križevci - For the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, the Center for Civic Initiatives Poreč, the Women's Association "IZVOR", the Croatian Association of Business Women Krug, Domine - an organization for the promotion of women's rights, the Space for Gender and Media Culture K-Zona, and the Croatian Youth Network.
Press release_international final conference of the project
On May 24, 2023, a conference entitled "Be Active. Be Emancipated" was organized by the BaBe association and the Croatian Youth Network. "The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life - a structured dialogue on demographic trends and needs". The conference was held live at Hotel Academia in Zagreb, and is part of the project “The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and on the demographic picture of Croatia – spaces of change”The goals of the conference were to present evidence-based and developed guidelines for the development of public policies, then open a space for dialogue between employers, workers and others to raise awareness and the needs of balancing private and professional life, then highlight the importance of the inclusion and active contribution of all household members in the distribution of household chores, mental work and care for children and the elderly, and build conclusions and advocacy strategies based on the real needs of those to whom public policies most apply.
Tanja Štampar, project manager, She presented the project's goals and activities to the attendees, after which she reviewed the project's results so far, placing special emphasis on the thematic network of partners 4th shift - invisible work, the "JutrosSamStala" campaign, and the research section of the project. Two video clips created as part of the project, relating to mental work and paternity leave, were also premiered at the conference.
Introductory speeches and presentations were given by Margareta Mađerić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy and Višnja Ljubičić, Ombudsperson for Gender Equality. Margareta Mađerić addressed the topics of mental work and the need to reconcile family and work life, and highlighted the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Croatia in the context of improving labor legislation, harmonization with European directives, and innovative work models. Višnja Ljubičić presented the results of her own projects and research that focused on the topic of reconciling family and work life, emphasizing that she receives the most complaints in the area of the labor market, which is why it is necessary to work on an ethical business culture and better implementation of the law.
Suzana Kunac, Fifth Discipline, presented guidelines (created as part of the project) for the development of public policies for the reconciliation of family and work life with applied evidence-based quality standards. The presented guidelines relate to the following areas: 1. adoption of a comprehensive demographic public policy with a clear framework for the reconciliation of family and professional obligations of men and women, 2. availability, vacancies, working hours and prices of nurseries and kindergartens, 3. paternity and parental leave, taking sick leave when a child is sick, 4. extended and full-day programs for children up to 12 years of age, 5. deconstruction of gender stereotypes in secondary socialization as a prerequisite for gender equality and the reconciliation of family and professional obligations of men and women, and 6. reconciliation of work and family life of men and women.
After the introductory speeches and presentation of the guidelines, two thematic panels followed, followed by a discussion. The first panel was entitled Needs and awareness of employers as actors for achieving work-life balanceand the panel was attended by: Željka Josić, State Secretary at the Central State Office for Demography and Youth, Ivana Matić, founder of Women in Adria and Member of the Board of Directors of the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association and Hrvoje Bujas, president of the Voice of Entrepreneurs association. The panel was moderated by Donna Diana PrcicThe panel discussed the following issues: to what extent is the labor market of the Republic of Croatia adapted to allow fathers to use available leave to the same extent as mothers, what challenges employers encounter when employees go on parental leave, what would further encourage employers to develop a culture of using parental leave, especially among male workers, and the like.
The second panel was titled Paternity leave – demographic trends and benefits for children, and was moderated by Antonia RukavinaThe following participated in the panel: Anamarija Sočo, President of the Status M Association, Jasminka Brstilo, Parenting Support Service from the Central State Office for Demography and Youth, Darko Šeperić, Executive Secretary for Public Policies, Projects and Education from the Alliance of Autonomous Communities Croatian trade union and Matija Švaljek, father and husband. The questions discussed at the second panel were as follows: to what extent has the harmonization of the Maternity and Parental Benefits Act contributed to an increase in the number of people using paternity leave, what are the proven benefits of using parental leave by fathers, what challenges do fathers encounter when using parental leave, and the like.
The conference is part of the project “The impact of public policies on the quality of family and working life and on the demographic picture of Croatia – spaces of change” whose implementation began on 28.10.2020 and lasts 36 months. The value of the project is 3,599,941.69 HRK, of which 15% is financed from the state budget of the Republic of Croatia, and 85% from the European Social Fund. The project aims to strengthen civil society organizations included in the Thematic Network through partnerships, cross-sectoral cooperation with higher education institutions, and local and regional self-government units in order to achieve effective social dialogue with the purpose of developing and proposing adequate public policies, adapted to the cultural specificities of each region, in order to contribute to the harmonization of the private and business lives of citizens of the Republic of Croatia. The project is carried out by the BaBe Budi aktivna association. Be emancipated., and the project partners are: University of Zadar, City of Novska, Vukovar-Srijem County, Association for Human Rights and Civic Participation PaRIter, Association 'HERA' Križevci - For the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, Center for Civic Initiatives Poreč, Women's Association "IZVOR", Croatian Association of Business Women Krug, Domine - organization for the promotion of women's rights, Space for Gender and Media Culture K-Zona, and Croatian Youth Network.
The BaBe Association and the Agency for Electronic Media will conduct a public awareness campaign about gender-based online violence against women during June.
The central part of the campaign consists of video and radio spots and billboards that aim to warn of the "consequences" of publishing intimate recordings without consent, which for perpetrators are up to three years in prison.
Campaign video
"Although people faced with online violence most often encounter stigmatization, misunderstanding and condemnation from their environment, with this campaign we want to raise awareness that they are not alone and that when reporting and confronting the abuser, they have various forms of support and protection at their disposal, such as the platform NEON which offers access to free legal and psychological counseling.", said Dean Šarčević, coordinator of the SURF and SOUND project, which is implemented by the BaBe association in partnership with the Agency for Electronic Media.
The public will have the opportunity to see and hear the videos on television and radio programs and on social networks, and the most important messages will also appear on billboards in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar.
"The involvement of the media in raising public awareness of this problem is of great importance and I thank them all for broadcasting these videos in their programs without financial compensation. It is also important to additionally educate the representatives of media outlets, both journalists and editors, about this problem. That is why we have organized workshops for journalists as part of the project. Next Monday, a workshop will be held in Rijeka, followed by workshops in Zagreb, Vinkovci, Split and Zadar.", said Vanja Gavran, a member of the Electronic Media Council.
Anita Malenica, a member of the Electronic Media Council, said on the occasion of the start of the campaign that the Council and the Agency are working very hard to promote topics important for improving the position of women in our society. "It is very important that all segments of our society engage on these and similar topics, because only through synergy can we achieve visible progress and good results. We are happy that as partners in this project we can make our contribution, and of course we are open to other similar projects.", said Malenica.
The national awareness campaign is being implemented as part of the SURF and SOUND project, which aims to combat gender-based online violence against women by raising awareness of the problem, strengthening the capacities of experts and providing direct support to victims, and is co-financed by the European Union, the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, and the City of Zagreb.
Online violence against women is a form of gender-based violence that affects women disproportionately and with more severe consequences than men. It can be defined as the use of computer systems and modern communication technology as a means of committing violence against women, leading to various forms of non-property and property damage.
It is estimated that one in ten women (aged 15) has experienced online violence. Women across Europe, including Croatia, are affected by the publication, manipulation or threat of publication of intimate images without consent, online stalking, which includes monitoring, unwanted contact and publication of personal information without consent, coercion to provide intimate images and even online rape, and the perpetrators are most often ex-partners or strangers.
Numerous studies have identified psychological consequences of online violence in victims, such as high levels of anxiety, stress disorders, depression, trauma, panic attacks, loss of self-esteem and a feeling of powerlessness in being unable to resist the abuse. In addition to psychological consequences, victims often suffer physical consequences in the form of deteriorating health and economic damage due to loss of employment, inability to find employment or inability to start or continue education, especially in situations where they are exposed to online violence in a business or academic environment or when the perpetrator has involved persons from the aforementioned environments in his unlawful actions.
Unfortunately, the experience of the free counseling center for victims of online violence of the BaBe association indicates the devastating fact that in as many as 601% of cases, women do not report online violence to the police and/or the state attorney's office, which indicates the need for greater understanding, support, and empathy for victims, both in terms of institutions that should provide them with a greater degree of protection, and within a narrow circle of friends, family, and community.
The goal of the national campaign is to reverse negative trends, increase understanding and solidarity, and encourage people who face abusers to report violence, in which they can count on support.
The SURF and SOUND project and the national campaign are co-financed by the European Union's Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme (2014-2020). The content of this press release is the sole responsibility of the BaBe association and the Agency for Electronic Media.
On the occasion of another terrible case of femicide that occurred yesterday in Split, we would like to point out that intimate partner and gender-based violence are not a family dispute, and violence is not a private matter, but a serious problem and the responsibility of the entire society.
The Ombudsperson has continuously highlighted the worrying increase in the number of murdered women. Compared to 2018, the number of women killed by intimate partners has increased by 50 percent, while fourteen out of 19 murders of women in 2020 were classified as femicide. In order to change this situation, a change in the entire system is needed, the Ombudsperson said.
We remind you that in October we warned that the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality Višnja Ljubičić emphasized in her Annual Report for 2020 that despite the increase in gender-based violence and the Ombudsperson's warnings about the need to urgently amend the legislative framework, key laws and regulations remained largely unchanged and not aligned with the Istanbul Convention, which certainly did not contribute to the effective fight against gender-based violence.
Many laws still do not recognize violence against women as gender-based in their provisions, or do not criminalize it, or do not provide for prosecution ex officio, or do not provide protection to all victims, or ultimately do not provide real, but only declaratory protection to victims, which in some cases has resulted in femicide, states the report of the Ombudsperson, who has been warning for years that the judiciary sentences less than 101% of all perpetrators of violence to unconditional prison sentences, all others are sentenced to relatively mild fines or suspended prison sentences.
Without the urgent implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence, the system will continue to fail. Declarative condemnation of violence and ratification of the Convention is not enough. It is essential that all of us together as a society, especially those in positions of power and those directly involved in the system, condemn all forms of gender-based violence without compromise, because only then will the existing system be improved and the measures resulting from the ratification of the Istanbul Convention truly implemented.
Additionally, the BaBe Association is appalled by yesterday's extremely unacceptable reporting by HRT. The public service paid for by the citizens of Croatia should serve as an example of journalistic ethics, and not promote shameful practices, especially considering the sensitivity of the topic and the fact that the news, namely Dnevnik, is watched by minors and numerous victims of violence.
We would like to remind you that in practice we constantly encounter women who are afraid to report violence, and the move by the HRT editorial staff to show a video of a stabbed woman lying on the floor of a Lidl in Split, where she was an employee, in the main news program at 7 pm has certainly aroused fear in many women who are victims of violence and may have deterred them from reporting it. We also emphasize that publishing such videos affects the mental health of children and young people. In line with all of the above, we appeal to the HRT leadership and expect that the responsible editorial staff will be sanctioned.
Photo source: Unsplash
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which we mark today, November 25th, the BaBe association would like to draw attention to the growing problem of online violence, which particularly affects women, and to point out that they most often face misunderstanding and condemnation from their environment, which is why they do not report violence.
To encourage victims to report online violence and provide the support they need, we have launched a new platform, NEON - babe.hr/ne-online-nasilju/ - through which they can easily report violence and receive free legal and psychological support and advice.
60% of victims do not report online violence, and the perpetrators are most often ex-partners
Since March this year, the BaBe association has been implementing the SURF and SOUND project - Support, Unite, Respond, Fight to Stop Online violence, with the aim of reducing the occurrence of online violence and through which a free counseling center has been opened for victims of online violence.
The most common form of violence that brings people to counselling is the posting or threat of posting of sexually explicit videos. This form of online violence is often intertwined with other forms such as doxing (posting the victim's personal information online) and sexual extortion, and unfortunately we also witness cases in which the videos were created as a result of rape, which further traumatises the victims. There is also online harassment by ex-partners, who in the most extreme cases even threaten their victims with death.
The victims are most often faced with psychological consequences and damage, while in some cases they have also suffered social and economic damage, since they are unable to perform work because the bullies used their work environment to commit violence, i.e. publishing intimate videos. All the people who turned to for help and support are female, which clearly indicates the gender conditioning of these forms of online violence.
Based on previous cases of online violence, we have observed that women aged 18 to 40 are most affected, but victims can be of all ages, with a significant number of women in the 45 to 55 age group. The most common perpetrators of violence are ex-partners, followed by online partners (people the victims met online and who are living abroad) and unknown, anonymous persons.
Unfortunately, the devastating fact is that as many as 601% of women do not report violence, which indicates the need for greater understanding, support and empathy towards victims, both in terms of institutions that should provide them with a greater degree of protection, and within a narrow circle of friends, family and community.
Therefore, on this day, we call on citizens, friends, neighbors, mothers and fathers, and society as a whole, to always be their support and encouragement on their journey to confront their abuser and seek protection.
The NEON platform, in addition to the possibilities applications online violence, provides advice and information on various forms of online violence, and within the platform it is also planned forum for mutual support women who faced abusers.
The SURF and SOUND project is financed by the European Union from the Rights, Equality and Citizenship program of the European Union (2014-2020), and the BaBe association's partner in implementing the project is the Electronic Media Agency.
The content of this press release is the sole responsibility of the BaBe association.
I ovo je dio našeg „sustava za zaštitu djece“. Tako to zna izgledati u stvarnosti. Prizori koje ste uvodno vidjeli novinarski je snimak od 21. ožujka 2013. godine, a prikazuje pokušaj ovrhe (1, 2, 3), odnosno odvođenja djece od majke i smještanja u dom za nezbrinutu djecu.
Taj dan svi su plakali. Djeca, majka, mi, novinari i novinarke… Svi.
Prema zamolbi naše korisnice (majke iz priloga čiji osobni podaci i slučaj su nam poznati) donosimo još jedan argumentirani slučaj o tome kako majka, žrtva nasilja i njena djeca postaju žrtvom sustava, a Poliklinika za zaštitu djece i mladih Grada Zagreba u svemu tome podnosi prijavu za zlostavljanje djece policiji protiv majke, što sud uzima kao dokaz pri donošenju odluke da se djeca oduzimaju majci i smještaju u dom za nezbrinutu djecu.
Za potrebu iznošenja njenog slučaja uz zaštitu identiteta nazvat ćemo je „Mirjana“.
Mirjana je bila žrtva teškog fizičkog i psihičkog nasilja od strane supruga, radi čega se od njega i razvela 2005. godine.
Odlukama Prekršajnog suda u Zaprešiću iz 2005. godine i Općinskog suda u Zaprešiću, iz 2008.godine, vidljivo je da je Mirjanin suprug dvaput pravomoćno osuđen radi nasilja u obitelji. I jedan i drugi događaj za koji je S. osuđen odvijali su se u prisutnosti zajedničke mlt. djece.
Brutalnost kojom je S. zlostavljao Mirjanu osobito je vidljiva iz obrazloženja presude Općinskog suda u Zaprešiću iz 2006. godine u kojoj sud navodi: „nedvojbeno je da ponašanje okrivljenika, u kojem on govori svoj supruzi da je prljava i smrdljiva, viče na nju, pljuje ju, u kojem je i fizički zlostavlja, tako što je napada i pokušava skinuti odjeću protiv njezine volje…te ponašanje kojim ju drži za glavu i gura je prema dolje, te dok se ona opire, čupa joj kosu, u svojoj ukupnosti predstavlja nasilje, zlostavljanje i osobito drsko ponašanje. Nedvojbeno je i da je takvim ponašanjem oštećena bila u degradirajućem položaju, što je osobito razvidno iz događaja od 14. studenoga 2004. g. kada je okrivljeni oštećenu, nakon što ju je vrijeđao i fizički napadao, držao i nije joj dao da zove policiju…“
"Sustav zaštite djece“ , od CZSS Zaprešić do Poliklinike za zaštitu djece i mladih Grada Zagreba, vrlo dobro zna da je Mirjanin suprug osoba pravomoćno osuđena za obiteljsko nasilje, no te činjenice potpuno ignoriraju. Nasilniku se ne nalaže obvezno uključivanje u psihosocijalni tretman nasilnika ili psihijatrijski tretman, iako s nasiljem nastavlja i nakon razvoda braka, dok su Mirjani i djeci neprestano nametane razne obveze, kao što su odlasci na brojne terapije (uključujući „partnersku terapiju“ u Poliklinici s nasilnikom, od kojeg se razvela!), vještačenja i slično i to kroz sedam godina, čime ih se dodatno traumatiziralo.
Opravdanje za terapije i vještačenja daje Poliklinika za zaštitu djece i mladih koja za Mirjanu utvrđuje da je navodno emocionalno zlostavljala djecu, odnosno uskraćivala im susrete i druženja s ocem.
I ne samo to, Poliklinika za djecu i mlade Grada Zagreba 2010. godine Mirjanu je prijavila policiji i Centru radi zdravstvenog zanemarivanja i emocionalnog zlostavljanja djece.
Prijavu, potpisanu od strane bivše ravnateljice Gordane Buljan Flander, objavljujemo ovdje: Poliklinika prijavljuje majku Mirjanu policiji
Temeljem ove prijave/dijagnoze, bez namjere da ikoga prozivamo, ponovno postavljamo pitanje, radi li se u ovom primjeru rada Poliklinike o stručnosti, nestručnosti ili nečem trećem?
Ovu prijavu, sud prihvaća kao dokaz te Mirjanu označuje kao majku koja nema roditeljske kompetencije te djecu smješta u dom za nezbrinutu djecu.
Postavljamo pitanje, gdje je u ovim postupcima postignut interes djece?
Da to nije u interesu djece tvrdili su:
Također Mirjana navodi da je važno napomenuti da nitko od predstavnika Centra za socijalnu skrb Zaprešić koji je provodio ovrhu, djecu nije niti vidio u posljednjih nekoliko godina, a kamoli s njima razgovarao ili pitao što misle i osjećaju.
No, presuđeno je da djeca moraju u dom, a potom i da se to mora izvršiti putem ovrhe djece, no budući da su djeca pružila otpor i pokazala i fizičke simptome psihičkog stresa, ovrha je odgođena i do danas nije ponovno provedena.
Tek nastavno na ustavnu tužbu koju je Mirjana podnijela uz asistenciju naše udruge i kojom su utvrđeni propusti u postupanju sudova u postupcima u kojima su djeca povjerena Domu, provedeno je vještačenje kojim je procijenjeno da djeca trebaju nastaviti živjeti s majkom. Oboje djece danas je punoljetno. Nakon odlično završenog srednjoškolskog obrazovanja, danas su uspješni studenti.
Mirjani, kao zlostavljanoj majci, nikada nije pružena adekvatna pomoć kao žrtvi obiteljskog nasilja, niti je ikada naišla na susretljivost od strane institucija, osobito CZSS u Zaprešiću koji je većinu vremena nastojao posredovati i balansirati između nje i bivšeg supruga izjednačavajući njihovu odgovornost za lošu komunikaciju, a otpor djece prema ocu i susretima pripisao utjecaju majke. Zbog nemoći i nemara institucija da se pozabave s ključnim problemom – nasiljem, ovaj slučaj je klasičan primjer postupanja u kojem je fokus institucija prebačen na majku i njezinu navodnu nesuradljivost s institucijama te emocionalno zlostavljanje djece uz istovremeni izostanak institucionalne osude za počinjeno nasilje, što je sve na kraju potvrdio i Ustavni sud Republike Hrvatske preispitujući opravdanost mjere smještaja djece u dom za nezbrinutu djecu. Ustavni je sud u svojoj odluci u bitnome naglasio da u postupku oduzimanja djece nije proveden nikakav dokazni postupak te da je sud u tom postupku bezrezervno prihvatio mišljenje CZSS, te istovremeno onemogućio Mirjani da iznese bilo kakve dokaze koji bi potvrdili njezine navode. Također je utvrđeno da je posebna skrbnica koja je istovremeno bila i djelatnica CZSS i zastupala u postupku Mirjaninu djecu, bila u sukobu interesa te je svoju dužnost obavila samo formalno bez da je razgovarala s djecom te pribavila i razmotrila njihova mišljenja.
https://sljeme.usud.hr/Usud/Praksaw.nsf/C12570D30061CE54C1257CFA002FC19C/$FILE/U-III-2182-2014.pdf
O Mirjaninom slučaju svoj je sud izrekla pravobraniteljica za ravnopravnost spolova u svibnju 2012. godine: "Pravobraniteljica je nadalje upozorila Centar za socijalnu skrb Zaprešić da u konkretnom slučaju u svom postupanju, davanju prijedloga i mišljenja, upućivanju supružnika i djece na vještačenja, tretmane i sl. nije uzimao u obzir činjenicu da je S. pravomoćno kažnjavan radi kaznenog djela nasilničkog ponašanja u obitelji, čime je doveo pritužiteljicu u nepovoljan položaj u odnosu na istoga, te je svojim nepoduzimanjem ili neodgovarajućim poduzimanjem radnji na koje je ovlašten zakonom radi zaštite pritužiteljice kao žrtve nasilja, jednako tretirao žrtvu i počinitelja nasilja, dovodeći time pritužiteljicu u neravnopravan položaj, koje postupanje je rezultiralo time da se ona stvarno našla u nepovoljnijoj poziciji kao žena-žrtva nasilja..."
Nastavno na objavljenu seriju tekstova novinarke Jelene Jindre o radu Poliklinike za zaštitu djece i mladih Grada Zagreba i bivše ravnateljice Gordane Buljan Flander, javnu diskusiju koja je pokrenuta kao reakcija na navedene tekstove, brojne medijske objave i televizijske debate te sjednicu Saborskog odbora za ravnopravnost spolova koja je održana 1. listopada 2021. godine, osobito imajući u vidu da se od strane određenih aktera u debatama propituje autentičnost i argumentiranost iznesenih svjedočanstava pa čak i samo postojanje bilo kakvih problema i manipulacija unutar sustava, udruga B.a.B.e. odlučila je na jednom mjestu objediniti argumentirane slučajeve svojih korisnica, počevši s onim gospođe Željke Posavac (ranije Borić).
Argumentirane slučajeve koje ćemo objavljivati jedan po jedan temelje se na izjavama te dokumentaciji kojom raspolažu same korisnice te članice pravnog tima udruge B.a.B.e.
Radi zaštite privatnosti većine korisnica ne iznosimo njihova puna imena, a osobito poštovanje iskazujemo gospođi Željki koja je istupila imenom i prezimenom o tome kako je izgubila dvije i pol godine života s danas punoljetnom kćerkom Leonardom koja je dodijeljena ocu nasilniku temeljem vještačenja Poliklinike.
Slijedom navedenog, ovim putem postavljamo pitanje prvenstveno stručnoj javnosti i institucijama unutar sustava, radi li se u brojnim problematičnim slučajevima povezanim s Poliklinikom za zaštitu djece i mladih Grada Zagreba o stručnosti, nestručnosti ili nečem trećem?
Prva Laura s imenom i prezimenom
Željka je svoje svjedočanstvo ispričala i pred kamerom.
Navodi kako joj je bivši suprug slomio kralježnicu pred kćerkom Leonardom te da je kao moćna osoba imao utjecaja na institucije u Sisku.
Željka je očekivala da će Poliklinika za zaštitu djece i mladeži grada Zagreba na čelu s Gordanom Buljan Flander, prepoznati potrebu da Leonarda živi s njom, a ne s ocem nasilnikom.
U svom svjedočanstvu navodi kako joj je Leonarda ispričala da neće moći živjeti s njom, nego će pripasti ocu jer je u Poliklinici vidjela kako tata plavokosoj ženi daje plavu kuvertu.
Tako je i bilo, ispričala je Željka pred kamerom. Leonarda je nakon mišljenja Poliklinike bila dodijeljena ocu nasilniku.
To joj je najteže palo, kaže Željka. Teže od batina i loma kralježnice čije posljedice i bolove osjeća i danas.
Slučaj Željke Posavac (ranije Borić)
Željka Posavac naša je dugogodišnja korisnica. Udruzi B.a.B.e. se obratila kao žrtva zlostavljanja od strane supruga, kao i s pritužbom na tijek i ishod parničnog postupka tijekom kojeg je njezina kći Leonarda povjerena na čuvanje i odgoj ocu. Odluka o povjeravanju djeteta ocu, koji je bio ugledna osoba u sredini u kojoj je obitelj živjela (tzv. lokalni moćnik) temeljila se na vještačkom nalazu koje su izradile stručnjakinje Poliklinike za djecu Grada Zagreba, te mišljenju Centra za socijalnu skrb u Sisku koji je zaključio da majka ima „zaštitnički i posesivan odnos prema djetetu“ i izraženu sklonost narušavanja pozitivne slike o ocu kod djeteta.
Također je navedeno da je manipulativno ponašanje majke rezultiralo konfliktom lojalnosti kod djeteta što se očitovalo u negativnom stavu prema ocu. Za oca je primijećeno da je razriješio partnerski odnos te razdvojio partnerstvo od roditeljske uloge, veće kapacitete za održavanje pozitivnog odnosa majke i djeteta te sređene stambene i materijalne uvjete.
Mišljenje je Poliklinike bilo da otac pokazuje adekvatnije roditeljske kompetencije, da majka ne može razdvojiti svoje potrebe od potreba djeteta, a na istaknuti prigovor vještaci su naveli da su uzeli u obzir i kaznenu osuđivanost oca. Kod majke je utvrđeno vršenje emocionalnog pritiska na dijete. Nakon vještačenja dijete je reklo majci, „mama, ja ću pripasti tati jer je teta pričala s tatom i pitala je li blizu škola u koju ću ići“ te da je vidjelo da je otac plavokosoj ženi dao plavu kuvertu.
Prema preporuci Poliklinike roditeljima je određen nadzor nad izvršavanjem roditeljske skrbi koji je provodila socijalna radnica imenovana od strane CZSS koja je tijekom provođenja nadzora, a nakon donošenja presude izvijestila da majka uopće ne viđa dijete jer joj je otac to priječio, te je prigodom jednog dolaska u dom oca utvrdila da otac ostavlja dijete bez nadzora do kasnih večernjih sati. Jednom prilikom je nadzornica odlučila pričekati oca ispred kuće kako bi utvrdila vrijeme njegovog dolaska te utvrdila da je otac došao kući tek u 23.00 sata do kada je dijete bilo samo. Budući da otac nadzornicu nije htio pustiti u kuću te se zaključao u kuću, zatražena je intervencija policije uz čiju je asistenciju dijete vraćeno majci te s majkom do danas živi i uspješna je učenica srednje medicinske škole. U novom postupku pokrenutom na inicijativu majke, utvrđeno je da su sva prethodna utvrđenja nadležnih stručnjaka bila pogrešna te da je u najboljem interesu djeteta da živi s majkom.
Paralelno s postupkom radi donošenja odluke o roditeljskoj skrbi vođen je i kazneni postupak protiv oca temeljem prijave koju je 3. svibnja 2007. podnijela majka uz navod da je u protekle dvije godine bila žrtva višestrukog obiteljskog nasilja od strane svojeg supruga. Na temelju rezultata istrage, državno odvjetništvo podiglo je optužnicu protiv oca za obiteljsko nasilje temeljem članka 215.a Kaznenog zakona. Mjerodavni dio optužnice je glasio: „U razdoblju od 1. siječnja 2004. godine do 26. travnja 2007. … napao je suprugu Ž.B. nekoliko puta, rekavši joj da se „vrati natrag ološi na smeću iz kojeg je došla” i da je bezvrijedna. Podigao je ruku [prijeteći] da će je udariti, tukao je po licu i tijelu i naredio joj da ode u kut sobe. U prosincu 2004. godine primio je za glavu i lupio je o zid kupaonice, a 27. travnja 2007. godine gurnuo ju je sa stolice, zbog čega je pala na tlo. Na taj je način doveo Ž.B. u položaj bespomoćnosti i poniženja ...” nakon što je otac prethodno u postupku dva puta nepravomoćno osuđen, Općinski sud je 16. siječnja 2013. godine obustavio postupak zbog toga što je Kaznenim zakonom iz 2011. godine ukinuto kazneno djelo nasilja u obitelji iz članka 215.a Kaznenog zakona. Zbog navedenih zakonskih izmjena izostala je konačna osuda nasilnika što je bio povod za obraćanje Ž.B. Europskom sudu za ljudska prava. Postupak je uspješno okončan krajem 2017. god. uz zastupanje odvjetnice Ines Bojić, suradnice Udruge B.a.B.e., na način da je utvrđena povreda Europske konvencije te je korisnici isplaćena odšteta zbog propusta nadležnih tijela da nastave i dovrše kazneni progon počinitelja nasilja.
U protekla 24 sata jedna žena u Hrvatskoj je ubijena dok je druga izbodena. Alarmantne vijesti nadovezuju se na zabrinjavajući porast od 50 posto ubijenih žena u posljednje dvije godine u dva ključna faktora – broju ukupno ubijenih žena te broju žena ubijenih od strane intimnih partnera.
Stanje izbodene žene u Lipiku na sreću je stabilno, no poražavajuć je neslužbeni podatak kako nasilniku ovo nije prvi takav izgred. Podsjećamo kako je Pravobraniteljica za ravnopravnost spolova Višnja Ljubičić u Godišnjem izvješću za 2020. godinu naglasila kako unatoč porastu rodno utemeljenog nasilja i upozorenjima Pravobraniteljice na potrebu žurne izmjene zakonodavnog okvira, ključni zakoni i propisi ostali su i dalje u većoj mjeri neizmijenjeni i neusklađeni s Istanbulskom konvencijom što svakako nije doprinijelo učinkovitoj borbi protiv rodno-utemeljenog nasilja.
Many laws still do not recognize violence against women as gender-based in their provisions, or do not criminalize it, or do not provide for prosecution ex officio, or do not provide protection to all victims, or ultimately do not provide real, but only declaratory protection to victims, which in some cases has resulted in femicide, states the report of the Ombudsperson, who has been warning for years that the judiciary sentences less than 101% of all perpetrators of violence to unconditional prison sentences, all others are sentenced to relatively mild fines or suspended prison sentences.
Without the urgent implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence, the system will continue to fail. Declarative condemnation of violence and ratification of the Convention is not enough. It is essential that all of us together as a society, especially those in positions of power and those directly involved in the system, condemn all forms of gender-based violence without compromise, because only then will the existing system be improved and the measures resulting from the ratification of the Istanbul Convention truly implemented.
Apeliramo na nužnu kontinuiranu edukaciju i senzibilizaciju stručnjaka/inja koji djeluju unutar pravosuđa, policije i medija po pitanju rodno uvjetovanog nasilja.
