HORRIFIC: These are the conditions the kids rescued by social welfare service in Novi Sad lived in

Three minor children from Novi Sad lived in unsafe and unhygienic conditions in an apartment that was fillled with piles of garbage.

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It was not even possible to enter the apartment, let alone stay it it, because of the garbage and scattered items taking up most of it. The stench from this home took over the entire building.

This is what was found when the relevant services responded after a fire broke out in that apartment in November last year.

At that moment, the grandfather was looking after the children, while the mother was out with the eldest.

The Novi Sad Center for Social Welfare, acting on a report it received from the police and the public prosecutor, took urgent measures and imposed temporary foster protection, in order to eliminate the immediate danger to the life and safety of children.

Criminal charges

The police in the meantime filed a criminal complaint against the mother for child abuse and neglect. The fostering system authority made a plan for the contact between the minor children with their parents, and this authority gradually undertook all family-legal protection measures in order to protect the rights and interests of the minor children, and above all ensure safe and adequate living conditions and their eventual return to the biological family.

The mother was first ordered by the service plan, and then as part of the corrective supervision procedure, to eliminate the omissions in the exercise of parental rights (above all, to ensure safe conditions for the children).

During the procedure, the mother showed an extremely high degree of non-cooperation (she did not allow professional workers to make a field visit at a new address, she did not attach the requested documentation that would serve as proof that conditions had now been met for taking over the children), while contacts with the children were also difficult.

All authorities are taking measures within their competence, since this is a case of gross neglect of parental duties regarding the right to education, health, right to identity, as well as the achievement of conditions for unimpeded growth and development of children.

Chamber of Social Protection reacts

The Chamber of Social Protection, the Association of Professional Social Protection Workers of the Republic of Serbia and the Association of Centers for Social Welfare strongly condemn a violent intrusion of a number of citizens into the Center for Social Welfare Novi Sad, who directed their unjustified revolt at the employees of the institution.

"We provide full support to our male and female colleagues, who are trying to perform their duties professionally and responsibly, in the interest of all citizens," the Chamber said, adding:

"We are very concerned about the escalation of this type of behavior and the pressure to make certain decisions in the area of legal family protection. We appeal on all actors in this event to create conditions for unimpeded smooth resolution of the situation."

(Telegraf.rs)