Social workers to receive status of officials

A day of mourning was held for a killed social worker in Đakovo today. (Photo: Davor Puklavec/PIXSELL)

A day of mourning was observed in Đakovo after the murder of Blaženka Poplašen a social worker at the Centre for Social Care. Her funeral was held today at the local graveyard in Selci Đakovački, while her colleagues at the centre held a commemoration in her memory. At today’s government cabinet session Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said social workers would receive the status of officials.

Domestic Branko LozančićJuly 11, 2019, 2:23 p.m.

Social workers in Đakovo were particularly disturbed today after another worker was subject to threats this morning.

“As far as I know, one colleague informed me by cell phone that she was threatened by one of our clients and she reported this to the police. It is difficult for us when at this moment our clients are threatening us again,” said the head of the Centre Dubravka Petrović.

“This is a great and difficult tragedy, when an employee must die at their workplace, working with users for whom she gives her maximum and wants to help in their lives,” said social worker Danica Bušić.

The social worker's murderer, who also severely injured a lawyer at the centre, has been taken in for questioning at the Osijek County State Attorney's Office. It is expected that, following questioning, the prosecutor will adopt a decision to initiate an investigation and ask for investigative custody to be ordered, something that should be decided upon by an Osijek County Court judge.

At the beginning of today's government cabinet session Prime Minister Andrej Plenković repeated that a solution will be found to give social workers the status of officials. Once again he condemned that horrible crime that took place at the centre for social care in Đakovo and applauded the work of ministers Murganić and Bošnjaković.

“We talked yesterday, and in agreement with Minister Bošnjaković during coming changes to the penal code, this issue will also be resolved and they will receive the status of officials. I know that this issue has a horizontal character for other officials and employees that have public authority, so we will consider it overall, but we will resolve this issue,” said the Prime Minister.

Source: HRT