Speaking about the handling of cases involving torture and gender-based violence, Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković emphasized that the role of the prosecution is clear: “We are obliged to act professionally, impartially and efficiently, to ensure thorough investigations and to present evidence before the court that enables fair decisions.”

Marković assessed that each of these areas requires full, continuous and professional dedication, and therefore improving practice is not a matter of the moment, but a permanent obligation. He added that it is equally important to show sensitivity toward victims and to contribute, through the work of the prosecution, to a sense of security and trust in institutions.

Any allegation of abuse, especially when it involves state officials or when the victims are persons in a vulnerable position, represents a serious test for the State Prosecutor’s Office, as well as for the entire judicial system, the Supreme State Prosecutor emphasized at the conference “Monitoring Trials of Torture and Gender-Based Violence Cases.”

He recalled that in the past two years he had issued, among other things, binding instructions relating to cases of torture and domestic violence, regulating various segments of prosecutorial action, with the aim of harmonizing practice, strengthening efficiency and raising the level of human rights protection.

At the event, organized by the non-governmental organizations Human Rights Action (HRA) and the Women’s Rights Center (WRC), state prosecutors from the Higher State Prosecutor’s Office, Danka Ivanović Đerić and Ana Radević, also participated.

Regarding the handling of torture cases, Ivanović Đerić pointed out that visible progress had been made in practice in the previous period. As she stated, the implementation of the binding Instruction contributed to clearer identification of cases of torture and abuse, as well as to more consistent and efficient action by prosecutors, especially when the suspects are state officials.

State Prosecutor Radović presented a report on the handling of gender-based violence cases, emphasizing in the discussion that the implementation of the binding Instruction is already yielding concrete results – more consistent practice and the establishment of new practices, faster response and a stronger focus on victim protection.