The Institution of the Protector of Citizens follows with great sadness and disbelief the media reports about the tragic event in the elementary school "Vladislav Ribnikar" in Vračar in Belgrade.

On the occasion of this morning's tragedy, the Protector of Citizens, Zoran Pašalić, warned that, whatever the motive of that minor's act, this tragedy is the ultimate warning that as a society, we have passed the critical point of growing violence, unfortunately, among children as well. In just a generation or two, we have reached a phenomenon that was unimaginable three or four decades ago, Pašalić pointed out.

I call on the whole society, from parents to educators and representatives of the legislative and executive branches, but also children, to pay much more attention to prevention, education, but also to the contents that our children absorb daily from social networks and the media, the Protector of Citizens pointed out.

Zoran Pašalić, on his own behalf and on behalf of the institution, expresses his deepest condolences to the parents and everyone who lost a loved one this morning, in the hope that today's case will remain the first and only one, and that the society in Serbia will succeed in rising above the challenges that present times bring in the whole world.

The Protector of Citizens, Zoran Pašalić, warned today, on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, that pressures on the media and journalists are still present and visible in various forms, from labelling and discrediting to threats and physical attacks, and invited media workers to contact him if they believe that their guaranteed rights are being violated.

Pasalić also called for responsibility on the public stage of Serbia and appealed to all social actors, especially holders of public authorities, to refrain from any form of pressure on the media and journalists. As he stated, he expects that the amendments to the Law on Public Peace and Order, which he initiated more than a year ago, will be adopted as soon as possible.

It is very important that the legal changes that I initiated in order to protect journalists from the threats and pressures expressed in the public space, especially through social networks, which until now slipped under the radar of the legal responsibility of individuals, are sanctioned in the future, Pašalić pointed out.

On this occasion, the Protector of Citizens recalled that three years ago, he launched a joint project with ten journalist associations and unions by signing an agreement on the establishment of a Platform for recording cases of threats to security and pressures on journalists. The aim of the record is to more effectively protect the rights of media workers, however, to date, journalist associations have not submitted any information about possible attacks or pressures on journalists, Zoran Pašalić pointed out.

The Protector of Citizens welcomed the adoption of the new Law on Safety and Health at Work, which is currently in the parliamentary procedure and which should introduce several important changes in improving the position of workers, such as the introduction of the concepts of work from home and remote work, mandatory trainings in the field of safety, but also the responsibility of the employees themselves for injuries at work. This is also very important due to the fact that many workers work in conditions that pose a risk to their health and safety, and insufficient implementation of laws and regulations often results in workers not receiving adequate protection.

The Protector of Citizens, Zoran Pašalić, wishing everyone a happy International Labour Day, emphasized today that dignified work, decent and fair wages, safe and healthy working conditions, as well as the right to unionize, are values that are key to creating a fairer society and satisfied citizens.

Caring for workers, improving their rights and positions must be among the state's priorities. It is necessary to raise the quality of working conditions, especially for those who work in the most difficult jobs, and access to adequate legal protection as well as equal opportunities for advancement, further improve the position of workers, Pašalić pointed out.

The Protector of Citizens identified shortcomings in the work of the City Centre for Social Work in Belgrade – Zvezdara and Palilula departments, in the case of the child whose father kept her in isolation in an apartment in poor hygienic conditions in the Belgrade neighborhood of Mirijevo, and requested this authority to inform it within 15 days on the determination of responsibility of the heads of these departments and all the professionals who worked on this case.

Also, during the procedure, the Protector of Citizens identified systemic shortcomings in the Law on the Foundations of the System of Education and Upbringing and asked the Ministry of Education to propose changes to this and the relevant provisions of special laws in the area of preschool and elementary education, which refer to the obligation to keep records of children who are old enough to attend the preschool program and to enroll in the first grade of elementary school.

A month ago, based on the reports from the media that in Mirijevo, a father had neglected his child for years, keeping her in complete isolation in an apartment in poor hygienic conditions, the Protector of Citizens launched an own-initiative investigation  to control the legality and regularity of work of the City Centre for Social Work in Belgrade – Zvezdara and Palilula departments, Ministry of Family Welfare and Demography, Ministry of Interior, Healthcare Centre Zvezdara, Healthcare Centre Palilula and the City Municipality of Zvezdara. Subsequently, control investigations were launched against the Secretariat for Education and Child Protection and the Secretariat for Administration of the City Administration of the City of Belgrade and the Ministry of Education, and direct supervision over their work was carried out, as well a control investigation into work of the Savski Venac Healthcare Centre.

In the course of the procedure, a meeting was held with representatives of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, and by means of an act of cooperation, information was requested from the First Basic Court in Belgrade about the proceedings conducted before that court, which concern the family-legal protection of the child, as well as copies of legally binding court decisions with which those proceedings ended.