The tragic loss of a 3 year old child in Kosovo. Time for local authorities to take responsibility.
by Klevis Vaqari
On the 6th of June 2016, a three year old child lost her life due to the collapse of an old house, in the old historical part of Prizren. After several days of heavy rain in the city, one of the old houses of this neighborhood fell down and injured the child who lost her life a few minutes later. She was playing outside her house with her twin brother.
The family composed by the mother and the two children was a homeless family, living at this old part of the town where the houses are empty. However the mother submitted several requests to the municipality, asking them to find a suitable and decent house for her and the two children.
On the 7th of June 2016, the Coalition of NGOs for Child Protection — KOMF which represents twenty-two non-governmental organizations, through a press release expressed condolences to the family for the loss of their 3 years daughter in Prizren. The coalition immediately required from the Centre for Social Work, Directorate for Health and Social Welfare in Prizren and other municipal institutions to provide safe shelter, protection and all other necessary services for the mother and other children.
In the press release it was stated that it is the failure of local and central institutions of the state to fulfill its legal obligations to ensure safe environment for their citizens, which leads to such tragic situation where children lose their lives and risk their health.
The coalition has requested from the Prosecutor’s Office in Prizren, to start an investigation and criminal proceedings according to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code in order to solve the case. On its side KOMF already addressed the Prosecution Office in Prizren with the request to initiate an investigation to solve the case. The coalition in Kosovo is closely following the process until the final decision of the Prosecution Office in Prizren.
