When C. (real name is known to the editorial staff) started teaching as a teacher at the Gymnasium "Slobodan Škerović" at the end of 2020, Nina (name changed to preserve identity) was delighted. She considered him an ideal professor.
“He was dedicated to the subject he taught, an artistic type. He organized a large number of creative activities," he says in an interview with Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) Nina, now a student.
Nina was in the fourth grade of high school, C. immediately tried to develop a closer relationship with her.
"Although we had a group inbox of the department for communication and lesson arrangements, he often only sent messages to me. I became an intermediary between the department and him," says this girl.
For a long time, she thought that the professor's behavior was perfectly fine. However, at the end of that year, after the prom night, C. contacted Nina to congratulate her on her graduation, but by commenting on her cleavage.
"You have a wonderful cleavage, which is an exceptional recommendation...", he wrote in a message that CIN-CG had access to.
After Nina answered that she will lead her life with her head, not her cleavage, communication stopped, but only until October of that year.
When Nina had already started studying, C. called and offered to take her out for coffee. After she refused, a barrage of sexual offers and comments about her appearance and body followed. The messages were full of sexual objectification. Although Nina made C. aware several times that she did not want such communication, he continued to harass her in a series of over a hundred messages into which CIN-CG had access, in which he explicitly wrote to her about his sexual fantasies, desire to have sexual relations with her, etc. "I didn't block him, I wanted him to write everything and show the messages to the director of the Gymnasium immediately," says Nina.
According to CIN-CG sources, she is not the only one who experienced discomfort from C.
"Girls came and complained that he was measuring them, that they were uncomfortable in his classes, that they wore hoodies to hide from unwanted measurements", told CIN-CG from an NGO that deals with young people.
The example given is apparently not an isolated one.
"Sexual harassment and abuse of children is, unfortunately, a much more common problem than we would like to admit," the psychologist tells CIN-CG Adriana Pejaković, which works with children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse.
The CIN-CG research showed that over a third of the surveyed parents and members of the teaching staff believe that children are not necessarily safe from sexual harassment and/or abuse by employees. Numerous conversations of CIN-CG with experts who work with children, as well as interviews of teenagers through anonymous questionnaires, showed that sexual harassment of students is present to a certain extent in secondary and elementary schools, and employees who behave inappropriately are rarely sanctioned .
Fined out of pocket, without reporting to the authorities
Nina forwarded all the messages she received from C. to the director of the Podgorica Gymnasium, Biljani Vučurović. From the correspondence that CIN-CG had access to, Vučurović congratulated Nina on her courage, informed her that certain measures had been taken, but she never told her which ones. Vučurović advised Nina to report C. to the competent authorities.
"I didn't want to get involved in that procedure, I expected that the school would protect other students from such a person," says Nina.
When asked by CIN-CG about this situation, Vučurović said that after Nina informed her about the incident, she punished Professor C. with a disciplinary measure in the amount of a 30 percent reduction in salary, in November 2021. Vučurović asked for an explanation from C., who admitted everything, pointing out that at the time of the inappropriate messages, Nina was no longer a student at school (the first message was sent in June, and the high school graduates finished their education in May).
C. admitted that he "crossed the line in relation to Nina", stated Vučurović in her answer to CIN-CG. In the decision on the disciplinary measure submitted by Vučurović to CIN-CG, it is stated that C. "expresses deep regret" for the inconvenience he caused to the former student and the director. He believes that he "played too much with words".
"The part of the student's complaint that refers to her suspicion that she communicates with other students in the same way, the professor rejects with disgust," the Decision states.
"Neither before nor after the mentioned report, no one else reported a similar case regarding teacher C. As the unpleasant scene happened among students of the generation that had already finished school, it was not possible to determine the facts by questioning the students," said Vučurović in response to CIN-CG.
C. still works at the "Slobodan Škerović" Gymnasium, confirmed Vučurović.
CIN-CG contacted the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MPNI) and primary and secondary schools for data on records of disciplinary procedures in those schools. Only about 166 of 30 primary schools responded, while only 59 of 12 secondary schools responded.
Most of the responding schools did not conduct disciplinary proceedings against staff in recent years, and in cases where they did, only a few incidents in primary schools concerned inappropriate behavior towards students. However, these schools stressed, it never involved any kind of sexual harassment. It should be noted that the principals of some schools gave answers related only to the duration of their mandate, which in some cases was a period of less than a year.
The MPNI told CIN-CG that they do not keep any kind of records on disciplinary procedures in schools.
In 2023, the media reported on a case from an elementary school in Rožaje, where there was a suspicion that an employee sexually abused a student of that school for an extended period of time. CIN-CG asked the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Rožaje about this case, but they did not answer.
The case from 2015 in the elementary school "Mahmut Lekić" in Tuzi is known to the public, in which the parents protested the hiring of a teacher who is allegedly a pedophile, and because of those protests, he later lost his job. CIN-CG asked the National Police and Elementary School "Mahmut Lekić" whether the mentioned teacher was criminally liable, and whether he continued to work in the school system. We did not receive answers to these questions - from the Education Inspectorate, the MPNI said that they did not receive any initiative related to this case, so they did not carry out supervision, and from Elementary School "Mahmut Lekić" they did not respond.
Both parents and staff are aware of the incidents
CIN-CG created three questionnaires for this research - for school staff, for parents and for students.
The staff questionnaire was distributed through school staff sources. Of the 30 respondents from Montenegrin schools, over 30 percent, 12 of them, believe that children are not safe from sexual harassment and sexual contact by staff in schools, while 18 believe the opposite - that children are safe. Seven out of thirty respondents working in schools declared that students complained to them that they experienced sexual harassment, while four respondents personally noticed problematic behavior of staff towards students.
"A person employed as a teacher has had close and inappropriate contacts with female students for years, and makes harsh inappropriate remarks with boys," stated a teacher of a large elementary school.
CIN-CG sent questions to this school as to whether they were aware of the problematic behavior of teachers towards children, and whether they received reports about it from students or teachers, but we did not receive an answer.
"Several female students complained about the inappropriate comments of one of the teachers. After complaints from female students, the teacher was fired", the questionnaire described the situation from a high school.
An employee of a large secondary school in Podgorica stated that he noticed that the teacher behaved seductively towards the students, that he also commented on the appearance, make-up, clothes, etc.
CIN-CG also asked parents of primary and secondary school children to share their observations via an online anonymous questionnaire. Out of the 40 respondents, and here it was more than the majority, 15 of them stated that they were aware of cases of sexual harassment of their and/or other children at school.
"The professor regularly flirts with the students", is one of the parents' answers regarding the situation in the high school.
"The professor gave inappropriate compliments to the student and sent messages with compliments," according to another response, also about a professor from a high school.
In three cases, the parents stated that the teacher offered the child a good grade in exchange for sexual contact, one of which was in elementary school. Five respondents said that a school employee initiated physical contact of a sexual nature with the child. In ten cases, parents reported that teachers measure students, in nine that they comment on their appearance in an inappropriate way, which are the most common forms of sexual harassment of students.
However, the majority of parents, 25 of them, stated that they are not aware of such cases, and believe that their children are completely, or somewhat safe, at school.
From 2017 to today, four cases of inappropriate behavior of staff, i.e. employees in secondary or primary schools towards students, have been registered, the Police Administration (UP) told CIN-CG.
"In one case, a criminal complaint was filed against the person in charge of maintaining the inventory of an elementary school due to suspicion that he committed the criminal offense of illicit sexual activity for an extended period of time, while the remaining three complaints were dismissed by the prosecutor's office due to a lack of evidence," said the UP.
"From 2020 until today, initiatives concerning 'violence towards students and verbal comments of an inappropriate nature' were submitted to the Education Inspectorate, but they were rare, i.e. these were isolated cases", the MPNI told CIN-CG.
None of these cases were about sexual harassment or abuse of students, but rather about humiliating and insulting students.
Cases hardly come to light
CIN-CG was informed that in a small town in the central part of Montenegro, a teacher, whose name is known to the editorial office, allegedly sexually harassed a student in the ninth grade of elementary school, with inappropriate comments and physical contact. The incidents took place during the 2022/2023 school year. year. According to CIN-CG, this professor was transferred to another school.
The class teacher of this student refused to comment on the case for CIN-CG, stating that "it is impossible to know what exactly happened there", and that he "doesn't remember exactly" because "it was a couple of years ago", thus confirming that he is aware of this event.
The recently appointed director of the school where the incident took place said that he was not informed about the situation.
CIN-CG also addressed the former director of the school, who held that position in 2023, when these incidents took place. He reacted violently to our questions, denying everything and claiming that if we mentioned this case, it would be slander. By the way, he currently holds a high position in an educational institution.
Experts who work with children and young people tell CIN-CG that the lack of records of harassment and abuse does not mean that there are no cases. Students reported various forms of sexual harassment, including touching, measuring, flirting, to our sources that provide psychological support. As they state, they even complained to school administrations about some of the teachers, but there were no sanctions - and the problematic behavior continued.
Several CIN-CG sources who confirmed that such situations exist, insisted on anonymity because of the trust clause that exists between them and the children they work with.
And while these are mostly isolated incidents, entire generations can sometimes feel the consequences.
"Several women, today in their twenties and thirties, told us about a physical education teacher from a coastal town, who sexually harassed and abused female students, by asking them to show him their underwear when they asked to be spared due to their periods. Then, allegedly, he took them to a special room where they had to show him their laundry to prove that they needed to be spared," an organization that deals with helping victims of violence told CIN-CG.
Even school staff do not know who to report incidents to
An educator from a city in the north informed CIN-CG that he is aware of cases of sexual harassment by teachers, and even sexual exploitation of female students in higher grades of an elementary school, which happened during the last decade.
"It's an open secret, an individual can hardly fight the system that protects such professors, because of business connections, family and friendly relations in smaller towns, etc.," this source told CIN-CG.
"Students complained to me about the teacher sexually harassing them. Mostly these are inappropriate comments, sometimes as accidental touches," a young teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, describes the situation in a Montenegrin high school for CIN-CG.
"Students were afraid to name him. They expected revenge with grades - he is teaching an important subject. I felt powerless to help them. I didn't know how or who to turn to, but what to say to the students," she says.
"My first impulse was to tell the director everything, but what next? Maybe I would cause a problem for those girls and their families," he says.
The place where she worked is a small, conservative environment.
"There, such things are covered up, and the victims and their families are ashamed," says the CIN-CG interlocutor.
CIN-CG asked the schools whether there are protocols in cases where there is sexual harassment or illicit sexual acts against children by staff, and several of them answered that schools do not have such protocols, but that students can report to the class teacher, the principal or someone from the administration of such a crime.
A large number of schools responded that they follow the MPNI School Instructions for handling cases of violence. The first steps involve notifying the principal and the school administration. However, it happens that the administration reacts inadequately, shows disinterest, or protects the teacher, as shown by the cases mentioned in this research.
Predators abuse the vulnerable position of children
CIN-CG also distributed a questionnaire for secondary school students through expert associates who work with young people. Of the 12 girls who filled out the questionnaire, aged 15 to 23, more than half, seven of them, said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment by teachers in high school, while three said they had noticed teachers measuring and flirting with other female students, of which one case was related to elementary school.
Six girls stated that the professors initiated contact with them, which was different from the treatment of other students: requests to stay after class, private emails and messages, giving assignments that do not belong to school activities, too many compliments. One girl stated that she "had the need to hide" from the teacher.
None of these girls reported the teachers, although they all stated that they were informed that sexual harassment is a crime punishable by law. Three girls circled that they did not report that the teacher had sexually harassed them, because at the time they believed that it was his way of showing them "how much he respects them, sets them apart, that for him they are different from others".
Nina went through it too. It seemed to her that she was the favorite and different from the others in the eyes of the teacher.
"I was interested in poetry. C. encouraged me to write and to show him my work, to take part in the play he organized," she says.
Until the prom night, Nina did not recognize the signs of grooming, that is, the increased intimacy initiated by sexual predators.
"Grooming is a phase in which someone (in a school, a teacher, staff member) tries to gain the trust of a child or young person, in order to take advantage of it later. It can be a teacher who acts as if he is always ready to help, favors certain groups, suggests that they spend time alone, offers extra lessons...", psychologist Adriana Pejaković tells CIN-CG.
"Behavior with a sexual connotation is perceived by the authorities as extremely unpleasant, unexpected, a form of betrayal and can cause numerous consequences: withdrawal, avoidance of going to school, increased anxiety and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder. If a person has suffered sexual abuse, the consequences often remain later in life," says Pejaković.
No awe of authority in schools
According to official statistics, only 10 percent of cases of sexual abuse are reported, and the rest are covered up, sometimes leaving the victims to further abuse, and certainly to lifelong trauma, explains Pejaković. That is why it is very important to teach children to recognize that something is not right, to say "no" freely, to learn personal integrity, the freedom to report a bully, and above all not to be in awe of authority, which until recently was unthinkable in our society, explains Pejaković.
Generations in Montenegro have paid the price due to fear of authority, excessive respect for elders, especially teachers and professors. Reporting superiors, especially teachers and professors, for misconduct or sexual harassment used to be unthinkable.
"In the older grades of elementary school, the teacher touched us girls inappropriately during class, while we were sitting in the desks, as if by accident. It was strange to us, but we couldn't recognize what it was about, so we didn't even think of reporting it to someone. It was only much later, when we were adults, that we realized that this was classic sexual harassment and that the teacher was using his position. He knew - we, still girls, couldn't do anything, we were an easy target", says the interviewee, now in her late years, for CIN-CG.
In addition to supporting children to report all types of inappropriate staff behavior, clear protocols in schools for reporting sexual harassment and abuse are key, says Pejakovic.
"Certain schools in the world also have ombudsmen or counselors who act independently in situations of reporting sexual violence and enable the system to react with as few errors as possible. Also, it is a good idea to introduce anonymous platforms such as the Western Safe2Tell, where a person who commits violence can be reported anonymously," says Pejaković.
In the United States (USA), investigations into any allegations of sexual harassment of students and misconduct by teachers are conducted by the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Education. Other countries in the West also have clear protocols when it comes to this.
Nina worries that C. is still teaching at the Gymnasium.
"For me, his behavior really destroyed every good memory of the Gymnasium and the joy that school brought me. The memory of my trust in him, the incentive he gave me to do what I love, and behind all that was a bad intention... The worst thing is that the girls he now teaches are also at risk," concludes Nina.
The government does not keep records of whether registered pedophiles work in education
Montenegro created the first register of pedophiles in August 2024, which currently includes 100 perpetrators of crimes against sexual freedom to the detriment of minors, the Ministry of Justice told CIN-CG.
Schools are obliged to request information from the Ministry of Justice during recruitment whether the person with whom they are entering into a contract is on record in the register of pedophiles, the Ministry of Justice explains.
However, the Ministry does not keep records of where any person from the register was employed, or where they currently work.
"That type of record is not within the competence of the Ministry of Justice, nor is it a legal obligation of this Ministry," said the department.
Psychologist Adriana Pejaković believes that registered offenders should be banned from working near children for life.
"It is necessary to introduce a detailed check of the criminal background of persons who work in schools, a database or register of pedophiles and sex offenders, who would be forever prevented from working near children," she says.
The director of the school filmed minors on the promenade
The principal of an elementary school from a Montenegrin coastal town was reported to the police, because he secretly filmed minors on the street during July of this year. He photographed parts of their bodies. After being admonished by a passerby, he deleted the videos from his phone, but the police recovered them during forensics after taking him into custody.
The Police Administration confirmed for CIN-CG that the incident had occurred:
"On July 29, 2024, officers of the Security Department acted on a citizen's report that an unknown male person was filming minor female faces on the street... with a mobile phone. The security department found that the principal of the elementary school took several photos of minors from the back," the police department said.
Allegedly, he did not know that they were minors, and in the premises of the Police Department, he stated that he "took the photos to point out inappropriate clothing, that is, disobeying the ban on walking in a bathing suit or without a piece of clothing on the city streets."
The prosecutor in the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Kotor was informed of the incident, who rejected the report and declared that the actions did not constitute the elements of a criminal offense.
Several parents whose children go to the school where the director is, expressed concern about this event in an interview with CIN-CG.
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