Presenting the Report, Ombudsman Zoran Pasalic said that a quarter of the child rights complaints received concern violence against children and bullying. Inclusive education and support for children with developmental problems are also among the problems identified, while one of the chief problems among the Roma population is underage/child marriage, said Pasalic.

The Ombudsman said that poverty, insufficient staffing of child service institutions and the inability of the education facilities to work more closely with parents prevent the adequate exercise of child rights, adding that the normative framework also needs to be improved in certain spheres and as well as multi-sector cooperation. The Ombudsman said that it is important to pass a law to ascertain the facts surrounding the status of the suspected missing new-borns from maternity wards in Serbia and establish the mechanisms to investigate these allegations.

Ombudsman’s associate Marija Podunavac gave a breakdown of the statistical data concerning the investigated cases, issued recommendations and their outcome.

In the course of the ensuing discussion the Committee members and the Ombudsman exchanged views on the measures and activities needed to improve the protection of child rights with a special focus on violence against children and bullying.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Deputy Chairperson Nada Lazic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Prof. Dr Vladimir Marinkovic, Sandra Bozic, Marija Jevdjic, Milanka Jevtovic Vukojicic, Milija Miletic, Arpad Fremond, Jelena Mijatovic, Jasmina Karanac, Gorica Gajic, Dr Danijela Stojadinovic, Milena Corilic and Dubravka Filipovski.