The Committee on the Rights of the Child had a sitting dedicated to the civic initiative known as “Aleksa’s Law” to amend a series of laws in order to prevent peer violence.

Having discussed the matter, the Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted a number of conclusions, among other things to submit a request to the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the Ombudsman asking for their views, within their remit, on the measures proposed to suppress peer violence in schools in “Aleksa’s Law” and submit their proposals and amendments to the laws to the National Assembly for ruling.

National Assembly Speaker and Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Maja Gojkovic reminded the attending that the initiative was prompted by the tragic suicide of one Aleksa Jankovic from Nis due to bullying at school.

She said that this was a very sensitive issue because it concerns protecting children from violence perpetrated by other children. “We have to work together and be very careful, to protect the children, but at the same time avoid falling into the trap of creating new problems” said Gojkovic.

She opined that the current National Assembly legislature will be remembered for passing a considerable number of laws concerning children’s rights and protection initiated by the public.

Dr Dragana Coric, professor of the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Law, who was among the people who launched the initiative and herself a victim of bullying, presented the initiative to the Committee. Coric proposed a number of measures to curb and prevent peer violence, which mainly concern the parents’ duties and responsibility, the teaching staff, children, and emphasised the need to set up a coordinating body to deal with peer violence.

Members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and MPs Dubravka Filipovski, Gordana Comic, Dr Vesna Rakonjac, Biljana Hasanovic Korac, Milanka Jevtovic Vukojicic, Branka Bosnjak, Nada Lazic and Milena Bicanin took part in the ensuing discussion which was followed by the adoption of these conclusions:

1. By ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child the Republic of Serbia has taken it upon itself the obligation to protect children from violence, abuse and neglect that endanger or harm the physical, psychological and moral integrity of the child.

2. The Committee on the Rights of the Child is concerned by the rising frequency of peer violence in schools and appeals to all the relevant authorities and institution responsible for education and upbringing of children and young people to raise awareness of the unacceptability of this kind of behaviour.

3. At today’s sitting the Committee deliberated on the initiative to amend a set of laws, known as “Aleksa’s Law”, and noted the need to further improve the spheres of prevention and intervention in the protection of children from peer violence.

4. The Committee is submitting a request to the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the Ombudsman asking for their views, within their remit, on the measures proposed to suppress peer violence in schools contained in “Aleksa’s Law” and to submit a Bill on the Protector of Children’s Rights, proposal of amendments and modifications to the he Law on the Basis of the System of Education and Upbringing and proposal of amendments to the Law on Local Self-Government, to the National Assembly for ruling.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairperson Maja Gojkovic, and attended by Committee members Dubravka Filipovski, Gordana Comic, Dr Vesna Rakonjac, Biljana Hasanovic Korac, Milanka Jevtovic Vukojicic, Branka Bosnjak, Elvira Kovacs, Sabina Dazdarevic, Milena Corilic, Nada Lazic and Mirjana Dragas.