Sanski Most: All suspects in the case of finding children released to defend themselves from freedom

(Patria) - All persons deprived of liberty in connection with the case of finding children in Sanski Most, for which there was suspicion of them being victims of human trafficking, have been released to defend themselves from freedom.

The acting prosecutor determined in the initial phase of the investigation that there are primarily elements of the criminal offense of neglect or abuse of a child or minor, but that there are no grounds for imposing detention, the Una-Sana Canton Prosecutor's Office announced today.

We remind you that on March 16, authorized officials of the Sanski Most Police Station informed the duty prosecutor of the Regional Prosecutor's Office Sanski Most that in the village of Krkojevci, in the family house of a person with initials B.B., several children, most likely of Roma nationality, aged one to six, have been staying for a longer period, and that there is suspicion that they could be victims of human trafficking.

After receiving the notification, the duty prosecutor, together with investigators from the Sanski Most Police Station, went to the scene, and based on the given consent and the obtained verbal order from the judge for preliminary proceedings of the Municipal Court in Sanski Most, a search of the mentioned residential building was carried out, as well as investigation activities in order to find persons and objects that could be related to the criminal offense of human trafficking.

Two persons were deprived of liberty - B.B. (born 1971) and B.E. (born 1996). After being questioned at the Sanski Most Police Station, B.E. was released, while B.B. was handed over to the acting prosecutor.

In the meantime, on March 17, H.E. and M.G. voluntarily reported to the Sanski Most Police Station, claiming to be the mothers of three of the four children found, and the acting prosecutor ordered that they also be deprived of liberty and handed over to the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor's Office after criminal processing.

After collecting evidence in this early stage of the investigation, as well as questioning the suspects, it was concluded that there are grounds for suspicion that the primary suspect B.B. committed the criminal offense of unauthorized practice of a certain profession, and that she assisted H.E. and M.G. in committing the criminal offense of neglect or abuse of a child or minor in terms of gross neglect of their parental duties related to the care, upbringing and protection of minor children.

Also, based on the evidence collected in this stage of the investigation, the conclusion of the acting prosecutor is that there are currently no grounds for suspicion that the children are victims of human trafficking and that there are no legal grounds for imposing detention on the suspects. For the aforementioned reasons, all persons were released to defend themselves from freedom.

The Prosecutor's Office of the Una-Sana Canton states that swabs were taken from all persons for DNA analysis and confirmation of their identities, and that the validity of all found personal documents will be checked.

They also emphasize that the investigation in this case continues and that investigative actions will be carried out with priority, and that if and when new information is obtained, it may be expanded.