Krivokapić: I have not committed any irregularities, nor have I carried out any activities that would potentially cause a conflict of my roles

Supervisor of the Public Institution (PU) Social Work Center for the Royal Capital of Cetinje, Milica Krivokapić, reacted to the article "Employee at the Cetinje Social Work Center founded a private shelter: Children 'lost' in an unsupervised network" which was published today on the Vijesti portal.

We transmit her reaction in full:

"Namely, I am one of the founders of the non-governmental association 'Center for the Protection of Children and Youth' (but not the shelter), which is a completely legal activity and in no way constitutes a violation of the applicable regulations in Montenegro. As an employee of a public institution, I am not subject to the Law on Civil Servants and Employees, and within the aforementioned association I have not received any material or other benefit - neither on the basis of an employment contract, a contract for services, nor by providing any services. The aforementioned non-governmental association was founded in 2023, with the aim of improving the protection of children, especially from vulnerable categories, through project activities.

In this context, as a volunteer (based on a volunteering contract), I was involved exclusively in the preparation of the project entitled 'Controlling Emotions to Peaceful Schools', submitted to the public call of the Royal Capital of Cetinje during 2024, and whose goal was the prevention of peer violence. As stated in the text published by your media outlet, the NGO 'Center for the Protection of Children and Youth' was issued a license to provide certain services in the field of social and child protection, but it is incorrect that I am the holder of the license for the shelter, as well as that I have any connection with working with children, who are users of the services of the shelter and the Center itself.

Without intending to reveal any officially confidential information from the procedures conducted regarding the provision of adequate protection for minor children, which have been the focus of interest of both certain media outlets and numerous state institutions in recent days, it is important for me to emphasize that as an employee of the Public Institution Center for Social Work for the Royal Capital of Cetinje, I timely requested an exemption from specific cases, which was also informed to the chief inspector who conducted the inspection on 14.05.2025. During the same inspection, it was indisputably established that neither I, as an employee, nor the Institution where I work, committed any irregularities, nor did I carry out activities that would potentially cause a conflict of my roles.

I am a psychologist by profession, with many years of experience in the field of social and child protection. I hold two licenses: for performing basic and specialized professional tasks, as well as a license for mediation in civil disputes. I am currently in the process of training as a Gestalt psychotherapist, at the European Accredited Institute for Psychotherapy Training - Education Studio in Belgrade. I have been employed in the social protection system for more than ten years, and I currently perform the duty of a supervisor - which is the result of continuous professional development and work with particularly vulnerable groups. I continuously share my knowledge and experience with colleagues through the implementation of accredited training courses within the Institute for Social and Child Protection. I would especially like to emphasize that I was also the coordinator of the Multisectoral Team for Psychological Support to the Citizens of Cetinje, after the tragic events of January 1, 2025, and that for years I have been the initiator of numerous humanitarian and professional initiatives aimed at developing a healthier society, which was recognized and supported not only by numerous state institutions and ministries, but also by international organizations.

"I am a member of numerous working groups and teams based on the principles of social justice and contribution to the general well-being of our society. By publishing such media headlines, my personal and professional reputation is being damaged, as well as the career path that I have built so far without any stain. I would like to emphasize that no journalist from your media outlet has contacted me regarding this topic, and that it is not true that I was not available. I am issuing this denial in order to inform the general public and protect my integrity, dignity and reputation, and I ask you to publish it as soon as possible," said Krivokapić.