President Milanović: The tragedy in the Rijeka Rehabilitation Centre should not have happened and I cannot accept a callous explanation

“No child in Croatia can or should be a victim of carelessness and incompetence of the social welfare system. The tragedy in the Rijeka Rehabilitation Centre should not have happened and I cannot accept the State secretary’s callous explanation that “it so happens that residents die”. People who care for children in such a way in Rehabilitation Centres have no place in the social welfare system. I call on the government to take urgent measures to ensure that tragedies such as the one in Rijeka never happen again.  Children who are cared for in the social welfare system must have all necessary conditions for a quality life and a life of dignity. Today I spoke with representatives of the Association for the Promotion of Inclusion that is committed to introducing order and further deinstitutionalizing social welfare institutions. I support their proposals and expect urgent changes in the work of social welfare institutions”, the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović stated today at a meeting with members and clients of the Association for the Promotion of Inclusion.

It is a non-governmental, non-profit and humanitarian association that provides community-based social services for persons with intellectual disabilities. Motivated by the terrible event in the Rijeka Rehabilitation Centre, representatives of the Association once again pointed out the importance of deinstitutionalizing social welfare institutions. Namely, the Association has developed and successfully implements new models of support services in the community for children and adults with disabilities, such as organized housing, supported employment and specialized foster care.

Almir Mišut, head of the Organized Housing Organizational Unit of the Association, indicated that the Association provides an organized housing service for 90 persons with intellectual disabilities in Zagreb and Sisak. Such a model provides an opportunity for quality life in the community, as well as personal assistance and half-day stays. The Association for the Promotion of Inclusion was founded in 1997, and its activities are based on the philosophy of inclusion, according to which persons with intellectual disabilities are entitled to be equal and active members of society.

Besides the head of the Organized Housing Organizational Unit of the Association for the City of Zagreb who is at the same time an Association member and a support person at the meeting in the Office of the President were representative in the Association and support person Tea Janković, assistant mentor in the Association and support person Ivana Bočki and clients of the Association Katia Buneta, Tomislav Ivašković, Ivica Pala, Nenad Sekušak, Lidija Simić, Slađana Španić and Žarko Zgonjanin.

Alongside President Milanović was the Adviser to the President for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek