On the occasion of the International Missing Children’s Day, commemorated every 25 May, the Ministry of Justice notes that its working group has been working intensively on defining how ‘Amber Alert’ would be set-up − an initiative launched by the Tijana Jurić Foundation. The introduction of this alert system is meant to advance the existing system of finding missing children. As such, it is another step taken by the state to improve the child protection system.
The Ministry of Justice expects the results of the working group, which comprises representatives of several relevant institutions, will be made available to the public soon.
The Ministry of Justice believes it is necessary to work continually on strengthening the child protection system given that children, as the most vulnerable group, are most vulnerable to various types of abuse.
The Ministry of Justice also expects the new National Strategy for the Exercise of the Rights of Victims and Witnesses of Crimes in the Republic of Serbia for the period 2019−2025 and the accompanying Action Plan for its implementation, to be adopted soon. Together, these strategic documents recognise children as a particularly vulnerable group and prescribe a series of measures aimed at improving the position of children who are victims of crime or witnesses to crime.
The Free Legal Aid Act − which became applicable on 1 October 2019 − defines children as a particularly vulnerable group entitled to free legal aid. According to this Act, children have the right to free legal aid in all proceedings relating to them without having to provide additional documentation.