The Coalition for the Protection of Refugee and Migrant Children from Abuse and Neglect raised criminal charges with the basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Sombor following the incident that happened in Apatin most likely, when a group on unidentified men stopped two taxis transporting also refugee children and threatened their lives and bodies on the account of their religious, national and ethnic affiliation.

The Coalition for the Protection of Refugee and Migrant Children from Abuse and Neglect, including CSOs IDEAS, CRPC, DRC and Indigo, raised criminal charges with the basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Sombor following the incident that happened in Apatin most likely, when a group on unidentified men stopped two taxis transporting also refugee children and threatened their lives and bodies on the account of their religious, national and ethnic affiliation. This compounds to legal characteristics of a criminal act of endangering safety for reasons of hatred on the account of religion, nationality and ethnic affiliation of refugees from the Middle East that were in the vehicles.

Regretfully, this incident is not an isolated case of unacceptable behaviour towards refugee and migrant children in Serbia. The Coalition members have repeatedly informed the relevant judicial authorities about the incidents when unidentified persons threatened and abused refugees and migrants, recorded this on their mobile phones and posted it on their social media accounts. We note the increase of hate crimes targeting refugees in Serbia and also the hitherto inefficient response of the judiciary. For instance, the public has not yet been informed of the epilogues of preliminary criminal investigation and criminal proceedings initiated against the members of ”Peoples’ patrols ”, and about the measures taken against the administrators of the Facebook group ”Stop naseljavanju migranata” (Stop Settlement of Migrants) and the members of the citizens’ association ”Levijatan”.

The members of the Coalition note that the Article 49 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia provides for the prohibition and penalization of any incitement to racial, ethnic, religious or other inequality, hatred and intolerance and that the prosecution authorities are responsible for efficient prosecution and punishment of all individuals violating this prohibition. This is the only way to send a clear message that such forms of behaviour are unacceptable and that there is rule of law and zero tolerance to discrimination, hatred and violence in Serbia.

According to the media information, following the criminal charges, the police in Sombor identified and interviewed a suspect in the incident in Apatin. There is no court closure of the case as yet.