Croatia's Minister Alen Ružić launches child‑house plan to tackle sexual violence

Minister of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Alen Ružić presented a final action plan against sexual violence running to 2027, now open for public consultation. The plan allocates €1.24 million to establish a "Child House" modeled on the Barnahus system, where forensic, medical and psychological assistance for child victims will be provided in a single location. Specialized regional services will be set up in the Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka and Split areas, and police capacities for detecting online child exploitation will be strengthened.

The plan also includes education programmes for police, the judiciary, experts and perpetrators. Ružić described the model as “the highest level of protection of the child's rights and welfare”. Acting director of the Office for Social Policy Melita Čusek noted that the number of reported cases is rising due to greater awareness and trust in institutions, and emphasized the need for specialised officers to interview victims and for empathy training among professionals.