Apart from planning increased supervision and possibly initiating appropriate procedures, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography did not specifically respond to "Vijesti"'s questions about the outcome of expert and inspection supervision at, among other things, the Center for Social Work (CSR) for the municipalities of Kotor, Budva and Tivat.
The supervision was announced after the issue of responsibility and communication between the Kotor Center and social welfare institutions was raised, whose beneficiaries were minors who were involved in a traffic accident in the town of Verige at the end of March, when a fifteen-year-old was killed and three others were injured.
Post-accident surveillance
Professional and inspection supervision, as "Vijesti" was told by the department in charge Damir Gutic, was carried out ex officio. Although previously announced for the CSW for the municipalities of Kotor, Tivat and Budva and two institutions - the Children's Home "Mladost" Bijela and the Center for Children and Youth "Ljubović" in Podgorica, the inspection was, according to the response they provided to the editorial staff, carried out in the Kotor CSW and the "Mladost" Home. In the response, they additionally state that after the inspection, "clear guidelines were given for strengthening coordination between all relevant actors - centers for social work, police, educational and other institutions".
A traffic accident on the Kamenari - Kotor road, in the town of Verige, occurred on March 29th. A fifteen-year-old boy was killed in the accident. A. B., and three people, including DOES i G. LJ., they are injured.
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The Police Directorate announced at the time that a Renault with Tivat license plates and a freight truck were involved in the accident.
"Vijesti" previously announced that, according to unofficial information from the editorial team, these minors had previously committed several offenses together, and that three of them were in the social welfare system as former and current beneficiaries.
Based on the documentation that the editorial team had access to, it was also reported that there was no proper communication between the authorities - that social work centers were "silent" in response to letters from institutions for the placement of minors, and that the police did not communicate with the institutions when minors committed a crime.
Sufferers A. B. is a former user of the "Mladost" Home in Bijela, and the Social Work Center in Bar, whose user he was, after AB was returned to his family last year, had no information about his movements in the territory of other municipalities, where, according to the editorial office's information, he was also registered as a delinquent.
Several criminal proceedings, "Vijesti" previously announced, are also being conducted against F. A. who was injured in the same accident. FA is a user of the "Ljubović" Center for Children and Youth in Podgorica, and the institution previously said that they had not received any calls from the police on the coast, nor were they aware of the acts that the minor had committed on the territory of the Gulf in the six months before the traffic accident.
Minors G. L.J.. who was injured in the accident, is a user of the “Mladost” Home and since October last year, when he repeatedly left the institution on his own initiative, the management has been requesting the termination of his placement and other forms of protection. However, the relevant CSW in Kotor did not respond to several such requests from the management of the Home. The Kotor CSW did not respond to the editorial team's earlier questions.
The MSSD said in early April that, based on information they received from the competent Center for Social Work, the "Mladost" Home in Bijela and the "Ljubović" Center, both institutions "have continuously acted in accordance with applicable procedures."
"Including reporting the removal of a child to the relevant security departments every time it occurred," the department said at the time, announcing expert and inspection supervision in two institutions and the CSW for the municipalities of Kotor, Tivat and Budva.
MSSD: Guidelines for better cooperation
In a response submitted to "Vijesti" at the end of April, MSSD informed the editorial team about the procedures implemented.
As they explained, in that Ministry, ex officio, a Commission for Supervision of Professional Work was formed with the aim of improving the quality of professional work in the Social Welfare Centers for the municipalities of Kotor, Tivat and Budva and the "Mladost" Home in Bijela.
"The supervision was carried out on April 6, 2026, and based on its findings, reports were prepared with specific recommendations aimed at further strengthening the social and child protection system and professional work. The analysis confirmed that the formal aspects of the institutions' actions are in line with applicable standards, while opportunities for further development and improvement of practice were identified," they told the editorial board.
As they added, "special focus has been placed on strengthening preventive and advisory work with children."
"In order to timely recognize risks and provide adequate support, taking into account the complex life circumstances of children residing in institutions. Also, the importance of continuous investment in human resources and additional strengthening of institutions dealing with child protection was emphasized," they stated in their response and added that the Ministry "will intensify inter-sectoral cooperation of all relevant stakeholders in the coming period, with the aim of more efficient exchange of information, better planning and better implementation of joint activities, in the best interest of children."
They explained that the inspection process included "a detailed review of relevant documentation, as well as a check of the actions of the competent authorities, including social work centers, social and child protection institutions, and cooperation with other institutions."
The analysis, they said, showed that institutions have repeatedly recognized risky behavior of minors and taken appropriate measures within their jurisdiction. The findings of the supervision, according to Damir Gutić's department, additionally pointed to the space for improving inter-institutional cooperation and exchange of information, as well as for more consistent application of procedures in the area of monitoring and protection of minors.
"In this regard, the inspection has provided clear guidelines for strengthening coordination between all relevant stakeholders - social work centers, police, educational and other institutions. It is also planned to implement increased supervision over the work of the institutions involved, with the possibility of initiating appropriate procedures, all with the aim of further strengthening the accountability system and quality of work," the response reads.
It also adds that, as an important step towards preventing similar situations in the future, a review of existing protocols is recommended, as well as the establishment of regular and systemic coordination between all entities of the child protection system.
In connection with the actions of the authorities in this case, the Ombudsman has also initiated proceedings. As previously told "Vijesti", in addition to this case, the case will also include a review of previous assessments and recommendations in the work of the institutions.
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