The Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office of the Tuzla Canton confirmed that the investigation into the pimping of minor girls from the Home for Uncared For Children has entered the second phase, and that intensive work is being done to identify all persons involved in the exploitation of minor girls. The case shocked the public not only because of the brutality of the exploitation, but also because of the fact that police officers were among the suspects. We spoke with acting prosecutor Lejla Gazibegović-Begović from the TK Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office about how complex this case is, what stage the investigation is in, and how the Prosecutor’s Office protects the victims.
The Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office of the Tuzla Canton confirmed that the investigation into the pimping of minor girls from the Home for Uncared For Children has entered the second phase, and that intensive work is being done to identify all persons involved in the exploitation of minor girls. The case shocked the public not only because of the brutality of the exploitation, but also because of the fact that police officers were among the suspects. We spoke with acting prosecutor Lejla Gazibegović-Begović from the TK Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office about how complex this case is, what stage the investigation is in, and how the Prosecutor’s Office protects the victims.
“If we take into account the duration of the investigation in such cases, I mean custody cases, it could be said that the investigation is in an initial phase. In doing so, we must also take into account the fact when the order to conduct the investigation was passed. And further in this investigation, all investigative actions are undertaken that will in any way contribute to the clarification of any criminal-legal matter, as well as all other allegations, i.e. facts, proving other facts that we come across, which may result in its expansion or by opening some other cases”, stated the prosecutor in Novi dan.
She could not talk about the details of the expansion of the investigation, but stated that there is a possibility that it could be expanded to other persons or to other criminal acts.
Given that trust in police structures was damaged after this case, we asked what their cooperation in this case looks like.
“Regarding this investigation, but all previous investigations, both me as the prosecutor and the other prosecutors of this prosecution, I really have to say that in this case the investigation by, that is, the cooperation of authorized officials, the police administration of Tuzla Canton, was truly professional. All actions were taken in accordance with the law, under the supervision of the prosecutor, so I can say that it was carried out according to some established practice. The actions of authorized officials, the police administration of Tuzla Canton, in this particular case, showed high level of professionalism and their determination to uncover criminal acts and perpetrators, regardless of what was done with their colleagues. This was the case in this case, but indeed all the earlier cases that we worked together resulted in, I would say, well-conducted investigations, which could be seen through the court proceedings themselves and the multi-year sentences handed down,” said Gazibegović-Begović.
She states that in the cases she worked on, in which children appear as victims, I usually work with the Department for Juveniles of the Tuzla Canton Police Administration, that is, the Criminal Police Department of the Tuzla Canton Administration, and that they have a relationship of trust.
“It is a long-term work and really every report that came to them, which concerned criminal offenses against children, I, like the other prosecutor who works with minors, was informed about it. In not a single case did we come across that something was covered up in the sense that there was a group or even a department that would hide information about a criminal offense. Everyone is sensitive to children, however, and the fact is that even in the police you have people who go to the other side of the law, but as in this case, they will be prosecuted like all perpetrators of criminal acts”, she stated.
Minors, as well as all children who are victims, have protection during the entire procedure, which is accompanied by a psychologist.
“The child is heard with a psychologist, the psychologist provides him with psychological support. The hearing of the child is limited to two times during the entire criminal procedure and the hearing is carried out through audio-visual means. The child is in a room with the psychologist while the prosecutors and other participants in the proceedings are in another room. So that any influence on the child is avoided in every way, i.e. the child is further traumatized. It is precisely this limitation of his hearing during the investigation and court proceedings, the role of the psychologist and the creation of that someone, so to speak, a friendly, pleasant environment for the child ensures that he is not further traumatized,” said the prosecutor.
She could not talk about the responsibility of the Center for Social Work and the Home because, she pointed out, it will be the subject of an investigation. However, she stated that they always had a good cooperation.
“It is coordinated, we try to find the best solution for the child in each specific case. There are problems, most often they are problems with accommodation, however, at the moment when you have a case and when you have to solve that accommodation, i.e. the protection of the child, we do not deal with what the regulations are, in the sense of whether they are sufficient, whether there is a sufficient institution that helps protect children, but we try to find a solution for that specific case”, she concluded.
(TYPE/Source: N1/Photo: Archive)
