An appeal has been filed with the Basic Court in Cetinje, requesting the cancellation of the measure based on which three minor German citizens, residents of the "Center for the Protection of Children and Youth" from Cetinje, were sent to "Ljubović" in Podgorica, "Vijesti" has learned.
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The complaint refers to the measure of the Cetinje court sending minors to a non-institutional educational institution, namely the "Ljubović" Center for Children and Youth.
This measure was taken after a criminal complaint was filed against them for violent behavior. The complaint was filed due to an incident that occurred the day before, on May 12, in the capital, between residents of the "Center for the Protection of Children and Youth" and employees - educators, translators and the director of that non-governmental organization.
As "Vijesti" previously reported based on an official note from the Cetinje police that they had access to, educator and translator Damir Avdijaj and director of the "Centre" Nikola Perović reported that children physically attacked them.
Two other children, also German citizens, are involved in the case, but no proceedings are being taken against them because they are under the age of 14. The day after the incident, the two were transferred from the Cetinje shelter to the “Ljubović” shelter in Podgorica.
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography previously announced an inspection and expert supervision of the service provider, the NGO "Center for the Protection of Children and Youth", due to this case, and yesterday they told "Vijesti" that it has not yet been completed:
"We inform you that the inspection is ongoing, and that after the inspection is completed, we will have information about the outcome," said the department headed by Damir Gutić.
"Vijesti" also asked the ministry whether there was a possible conflict of interest because Milica Krivokapić, one of the founders of the NGO "Centar", which the Ministry granted a license to provide services in the field of social and child protection, is also employed at the Center for Social Work in Cetinje. They said that neither the Ministry nor the Commission for Issuing Licenses "are competent to determine the existence of a conflict of interest."
Krivokapić submitted a response to the editorial team yesterday in which she confirmed that she is one of the founders of the non-governmental association "Center for the Protection of Children and Youth", "but not of the shelter".
"The NGO 'Center for the Protection of Children and Youth' has been issued a license to provide certain services in the field of social and child protection, but it is false that I am the holder of the license for the shelter, nor that I have any connection with working with children who are users of the services of the shelter and the Center itself," she stated.
In her response, Krivokapić added that as an employee of the Public Institution Center for Social Work for the Royal Capital of Cetinje, she "requested exemption from specific cases in a timely manner."
"The chief inspector who conducted the inspection on 14.05.2025 was also informed about this. 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."
The register of licensed service providers available on the website of the Department of Social Welfare does not list the names of individuals, but rather the licensee, which is for a shelter for children and youth with behavioral problems in Cetinje, the NGO “Center for the Protection of Children and Youth”. The founders of that NGO are, in addition to Milica Krivokapić, Nikola Perović, who is also the director, and his sister Nikoleta.
Krivokapić added that her involvement in establishing the NU was a "completely legal activity."
"And it does not in any way constitute 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," she said, adding that she was involved in the association's activities as a volunteer, exclusively in the preparation of the project "Controlling Emotions to Peaceful Schools".
With this project, the NGO “Center for the Protection of Children and Youth” applied for the public call for proposals of the Royal Capital in 2024, when they requested 8.750 euros. The Funding Commission rejected their application as incomplete. At that time, as stated in the ranking list available online, they did not submit the NGO's founding act...
"Vijesti" has not received an answer from the authorities on how the five minor German citizens, who were residents of a private shelter, arrived in Montenegro at all. Unofficially, they arrived in Montenegro through the cooperation of an association from Cetinje with the German organization "Spurwechsel". That organization did not respond to "Vijesti"'s questions. According to information from their website, "Spurwechsel" also implements projects like the one in Cetinje in Croatia and Bosnia.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of Montenegro and the Police Directorate did not respond to the editorial team on May 13th as to whether the children's residence had been registered and on what grounds.
"Vijesti" was confirmed by the Cetinje Center for Social Work that the children were reported to them only after the incident with the shelter employees.
The police in Cetinje were called to intervene on May 12, when Damir Avdijaj, a teacher and interpreter at the shelter, told them on Ivan Beygova Street, in front of the “Aleksandra” apartment (owned by the father of the shelter director, ed. nov.), that he had been physically attacked by children who were housed in a private facility, for whom he was responsible as a teacher and interpreter. The director of the “Centre”, Nikola Perović, also arrived at the scene, and also reported that he had been physically attacked by minor children, German citizens. He then told the police that these children were housed in a private facility under a social program, for the purpose of resocialization...
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