Brčko District Prosecutor's Office files indictments against 12 parents for child neglect

(Patria) - The Brčko District Prosecutor's Office has filed eight indictments against twelve parents for the criminal offense of child neglect in the case of finding 31 children without parental supervision in Brčko.

The Basic Court of Brčko District has so far confirmed seven indictments, while the court's decision on one more filed indictment is pending.

In the course of the extremely complex and extensive investigation regarding the case of finding 31 children without parental supervision in Brčko, the Prosecutor's Office has opened a number of individual cases and, in eight cases, filed indictments against a total of twelve individuals who are parents, due to well-founded suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of "Child Neglect and Abuse" under Article 216, Paragraph 1, in conjunction with Article 31 of the Criminal Code of Brčko District.

The filed indictments accuse parents with initials:

▷ V.I. (50) and H.T. (44) of grossly neglecting their parental duty of care towards their seven children;
▷ G.H (35) and F.O. (26) of grossly neglecting their parental duty of care towards their five children;
▷ S.H. (27) and Š.O. (25) of grossly neglecting their parental duty of care towards their two children;
▷ N.H. (41) and L.Š. (37) of grossly neglecting their parental duty of care towards their two children;
▷ S.O. (43) of grossly neglecting her parental duty of care towards her four children;
▷ M.H. (20) of grossly neglecting her parental duty of care towards her one child;
▷ V.H. (40) of grossly neglecting her parental duty of care towards her one child; as well as
▷ A.H. (31) of grossly neglecting his parental duty of care towards his one child.

Therefore, the indictments charge a total of twelve parents with grossly neglecting their parental duty of care for a total of 23 children.

In terms of the method of commission, the accused parents are charged with leaving their children unsupervised in 2024 to an individual, Z.Đ. from Brčko, for a fee of 250 to 300 euros per month per child, knowing that Z.Đ. is not registered or qualified to perform such activities, that she has a large number of children in her care in that house, that she keeps them in inadequate living conditions, unsuitable for their age, with insufficient food, without enough beds for each child, with children sleeping on the floor and in hallways, with restricted freedom of movement and opportunities to get fresh air and go for walks, with physical punishment for disobedience, inadequate hygiene conditions, and without medical examinations when needed, as a result of which, on February 25, 2025, 31 neglected children were found without parental supervision by the competent authorities.

At the same time, during the investigation, the Brčko District Prosecutor's Office determined that there were no elements of the criminal offense of "Child Neglect or Abuse" against their two children for two parents, and accordingly, an order was issued to suspend the investigation against parents L.H. (22) and H.H. (19), and the two children were returned to their parents.

It is worth noting that in the very first days after the opening of this very complex and extensive investigation, the identity of the found children was determined through DNA analysis, and based on the received results, the identity of 25 children and the parentage of 14 parents have been reliably established so far, while the identity of 6 children has not yet been indisputably established due to the unavailability of the parents.

Regarding the criminal case against individuals Z.Đ. and A.Đ. from Brčko, who were previously remanded in custody until May 25, 2025, the investigation by the Brčko District Prosecutor's Office is in its final phase, and indictments are expected to be filed next week.

In the further course of the proceedings, the Basic Court of Brčko District will schedule hearings for the accused individuals to enter their pleas.