Criminal Charges Brought for Nazor Street Murder

ZaMirZine

02 August 2006

The Autonomous Women House Zagreb brought criminals charges to the District State Prosecution Office against six experts employed by the social welfare system and the judiciary who, they believe, have assisted, through inaction, the brutal murder of Jelena Sabina Kozar.

Jelena Sabina Kozar was killed, in mid June 2006, by her husband Tomislav Jakopovic, in the yard of Children Home in Nazor Street, after which he committed suicide.

The charges were not brought for conducting poor job, but, for the first time in Croatia, for assisting a murder in the first degree. Two employees of the Ivanic Grad Social Welfare Centre and a Judge of the Misdemeanour Court were charged with accessory to homicide. The former Director of the Centre was charged with inaction, and one person was charged with disclosure of confidential information on schedule of Kozar�s visit to her child. Kozar was killed during one visit.

"This is the first time that experts and employees of experts� services are charged with such serious charges. However, we do believe that this was a great aggregate of several serious misjudgements and failures that have lead to more serious charges�, said Jasna Novak, AZKZ legal representative.

Neva Tolle, AZKZ Coordinator, has repeatedly said after the murder that Jelena Kozar sought assistance from the judiciary and the social welfare system, claiming abuse at the hands of her husband and fearing for her life, but nobody took any action.