By Law, You Are Obligated to Report Domestic Violence; Help for Victims Exists

(Patria) - The Ministry of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons and Refugees of Sarajevo Canton is sending a message that it is a legal obligation to report any knowledge of committed domestic violence.

According to the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, everyone who has knowledge of it: family members, officials employed in health, educational, social institutions, non-governmental organizations, but also every citizen, is obliged to report it to the police or the Social Work Center. Also, a free SOS line for anonymous reporting of domestic violence is available - 033/222-000.

The Ministry of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons and Refugees of Sarajevo Canton has clarified the institutional forms of assistance and support for victims of domestic violence, as well as violence prevention, and ensuring protection for persons who need it, which are under the jurisdiction of this Ministry. They emphasized that assistance and support to victims of violence are provided continuously, even after they leave the Safe House, when they decide to become independent.

Assistance and support to victims are primarily provided through social welfare institutions - the Public Institution "Cantonal Center for Social Work" – competent social welfare services and the Cantonal Public Institution "Family Counseling Center".

"The Cantonal Center is obliged to provide protection, assistance, and support to a person who is a victim of domestic violence or who is suspected of being a victim of domestic violence. The 'Family Counseling Center' bases its work on providing assistance and support to family members, through primary prevention activities (community work) and secondary prevention (counseling-therapeutic treatment) in cooperation with the 'Cantonal Center for Social Work', as well as other institutions in the field of social protection, preschool, school and health institutions, police, judiciary and prosecution in Sarajevo Canton", the Ministry states.

As they point out, the Ministry is strongly committed to fighting domestic violence, and through the Coordination Body for Prevention, Protection and Fight against Domestic Violence, which, in addition to this Ministry, includes the Ministry of Internal Affairs of KS, the Police Administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of KS, the Ministry of Health of KS, the Ministry of Justice and Administration of KS, the Ministry of Education and Upbringing of KS, the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of KS, the Non-Governmental Organization Foundation for Local Democracy and the Coordination Board of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in Sarajevo Canton, strives to do as much as possible in protecting and assisting victims.

They also point out that the KS Government, two years ago, decided to provide 100% funding for the Safe House for victims of violence in Sarajevo Canton, thus ensuring its smooth functioning and operation. An Agreement on the accommodation of socially vulnerable victims of domestic violence in the Safe House - Shelter for Abused Women and Children has been concluded between the Ministry of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons and Refugees of Sarajevo Canton and the Foundation for Local Democracy. Although the provisions of the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence of FBiH stipulate that funds for financing the temporary accommodation of victims of violence in the Safe House are provided from the cantonal budget in the amount of 30% and the budget of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the amount of 70%, funds from the budget of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have not been provided in the prescribed amount in the past period.

"For the second year in a row, the Ministry supports victims of violence by adopting a Social Program, which is a set of measures and activities aimed at preventing and eliminating social insecurity for certain categories of the population, and intends to continue doing so. Activities within the 'Protection of Victims of Domestic Violence' part of the social program focus on female victims of violence who were accommodated in the Safe House, which is part of the Foundation for Local Democracy, and for whom the social workers of the Public Institution 'Cantonal Center for Social Work' – competent social welfare services and the professional staff of the Safe House, based on their expertise and experience in working with this population, assess that they need support even after leaving the Safe House. Beneficiaries for whom the social workers of the Public Institution 'Cantonal Center for Social Work' and the professional staff of the Safe House, based on established criteria and monitoring their condition after leaving the Safe House, determine that they have not returned to the abuser and that they need this type of support in their struggle for existence and independence, receive financial support for paying rent and utility costs. The lists of these beneficiaries are submitted by the Public Institution 'Cantonal Center for Social Work' to the Ministry of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons and Refugees of KS, which makes the payments to them", it was explained.