Children born in Rome, Nice, Rijeka, Barcelona found in house of horrors in Brčko; identities of 12 children still unconfirmed

(Patria) - Radmilo Ivanović, acting Chief Prosecutor, revealed at a press conference today that the identities of 19 out of a total of 31 children found in the house in Brčko have been confirmed.

He presented the details known so far about the identities of the found children.

"We have 31 children. We can say that the identities of 19 of them have been confirmed, of which 14 were identified based on personal documents they had or that these parents brought. For five children, we have information about who they are based on statements from other children who said their names and who their parents are. As for 12 children, we still do not have reliable data on who they are, who they really are. We have a first and last name, but we don't know if it's really that person, if it's the correct first and last name. I can tell you about their ages: we have seven children between two and three years old, six children between four and six years old, three children between seven and nine years old, and two children between 10 and 12 years old," said Prosecutor Ivanović.

He then touched upon the identities of the found children.

"There are 23 girls and eight boys. The place of birth is known for 18 of them: six were born in Italy (Rome), five were born in Croatia, one was born in Rijeka, two children were born in Barcelona, one in France (Nice), and two children were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina," he stated and added:

"Regarding residency, the place of residence is known for 14 children. Six of them are registered in Mostar, three in Zagreb, two in Tuzla, two in Brčko, and one child in Rijeka."

When asked by journalists if the children who were staying in that house had been abused, the Chief Prosecutor said:

"You are aware that two individuals are in custody and that there is a founded suspicion. For custody to be ordered, there must be a founded suspicion, at least that is what the court has determined – there is a founded suspicion of neglect and abuse of persons. With that, I have answered your question," he concluded.

Ivanović stated that the children have been accommodated in a hotel and that they have been provided with all necessary care and treatment, but these are not adequate conditions for a longer period.

"The Red Cross, the social welfare center, and volunteers are engaged there. The Social Welfare Center is responsible for the further accommodation and care of the children. Certain safe houses have expressed a desire for the children to be placed in safe houses, however, I really don't know if we have enough capacity. The children are related there, so they should be placed accordingly. We are trying to find a final solution for all the children in the shortest possible time," he stated, as reported by Blic.