Minister Ružić on the Tragedy in Zagorje: The Family Was Not in the Social Welfare System
A father and his two minor children died in a fire in Sveti Križ Začretje, with the investigation revealing that the fire was deliberately set in several rooms
A father and his two minor children died in a fire in Sveti Križ Začretje, with the investigation revealing that the fire was deliberately set in several rooms
Minister of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Alen Ružić spoke on Sunday about the horrific tragedy in Sveti Križ Začretje, where three people lost their lives in a Saturday house fire. He emphasized that the family had not previously been in contact with the social welfare system, as reported by Večernji list.
"The family had no contact, whether official or advisory, with the social welfare system. So far, we as a system have had no information. I must express my deep regret and also my readiness to provide assistance to the mother and other immediate family members," said Minister Ružić at the commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance for Roma Victims of Genocide in Uštica, as reported by Večernji list.
The minister added that he cannot hide his shock and that intervention teams are at the family's disposal. "I want to express my readiness to provide assistance to the mother and other immediate family members; we stand at their disposal. As a minister and as a person, I cannot hide my shock," Ružić stated, as reported by Telegram.hr.
According to a statement from the Krapina-Zagorje Police Department, the investigation determined that the fire was ignited in several rooms of the house. During the investigation, led by the duty deputy of the Zagreb County State Attorney's Office, the bodies of a 46-year-old man and two minor children were found on the upper floor of the family home, as reported by Večernji list.
The bodies of the victims were transported to the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Criminology in Zagreb, where an autopsy will determine the exact cause of death. According to unofficial information from Jutarnji list, the crime was not committed with a firearm.
Professor of Psychology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, Anita Lauri Korajlija, told RTL television, as reported by Jutarnji list, that this is a case of revenge filicide if unofficial information that the father killed the children and then himself is confirmed.
"This is a story about a man who decided to take his children's lives into his own hands to punish his wife. We must not reduce this to discussing what she might have done, which is unfortunately happening on social media right now, to anger him. This is about a man who could not bear losing control over his wife," Korajlija said.
She added that this was a planned act. "This is a very planned murder; there is no momentary lapse of reason here. These are usually very planned murders when a man decides to punish a woman for some reason. To prevent this, we need to develop a society where domestic violence is unacceptable, where penalties are deterrent, and where the system is such that women dare to report violence and receive all the protection they deserve," the professor emphasized.
Jutarnji list published part of an alleged message that the 46-year-old left on social media before the tragedy. "Killing a woman is not the solution. That way you free her from suffering. Leaving her to think about what she did, that is suffering," read part of the post, which, according to Jutarnji, the police and the State Attorney's Office are aware of.
The mother of the children was not at home at the time of the fire but was at work. According to Telegram, citing the local portal Zagorje.com, neighbors said she came home as soon as she heard about the fire.
The head of the Municipality of Sveti Križ Začretje, Marko Kos, told Index.hr Vijesti that the tragedy has devastated the entire town. "This is a tragedy for the whole town. After the official investigation, we expect official information so that we can declare a day of mourning. This is a tragedy that has devastated us," Kos said.
According to Jutarnji list, the municipality has announced the declaration of a day of mourning once official confirmation of the circumstances of the tragedy is received.
