From the beginning of the year, the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office has filed 62 indictments for domestic violence

(Patria) - In the past four and a half months, the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office has continuously undertaken activities to detect, prosecute, and sanction criminal offenses of domestic violence, acting in cooperation with competent police agencies, social work centers, and other institutions involved in the victim protection system.

At the proposal of the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office, the competent court has ordered pre-trial detention for 25 individuals during this period, while in 29 cases, restraining orders and other protective measures have been imposed to prevent further violence and protect the victims. For comparison, during 2025, pre-trial detention was ordered for 61 individuals, while restraining orders were issued in 108 cases.

Special focus has been placed on urgent processing of cases involving elements of repeated violence, threats to the life and safety of victims, as well as on improving inter-institutional cooperation for more effective family protection and prosecution of perpetrators. From January 1, 2026, to May 11, 2026, prosecutors of the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office have filed 62 indictments for the criminal offense of domestic violence. In 2025, 124 indictments were filed.

At the same time, a large number of cases continue to be closed without criminal prosecution, most often due to lack of evidence or the use of the legal right of victims not to testify, which further complicates the prosecution of these criminal offenses. In the past 4 and a half months alone this year, 121 decisions were made; 94 orders for non-prosecution and 27 for the suspension of investigations, because the victim of domestic violence did not wish to testify.

The Prosecutor's Office of the Canton of Sarajevo continues to act intensively in domestic violence cases, with the aim of protecting victims and effectively prosecuting perpetrators.