Violence chips away at Croatia's sense of security

13/11/2008

Although Croatia has a low crime rate, a spate of recent incidents has unnerved many in Zagreb.

By Natasa Radic for Southeast European Times in Zagreb -- 13/11/08

After quick arrests in the Pukanic-Franic murder case, hope is returning to the streets of Zagreb. [Zeljana Grubisic]

A series of violent assaults has shaken Croatia, leaving many worried about the level of personal safety and security in the country. The most glaring examples were the October murder of a young intern and, only weeks later, the car bombing that killed the publisher and marketing director of a major Croatian newspaper. But while the deaths of Ivana Hodak, Ivo Pukanic and Niko Franic stunned the country, these were by no means the only cases.

In June, assailants ambushed investigative reporter Dusan Miljus of the daily Jutarnji list in front of his home, sending him to the hospital with a concussion and broken arm. He had earlier received death threats. The Croatian Press Association held two street rallies, protesting the authorities' inertia in bringing Miljus's attackers to justice.

A month earlier, Zagreb city official Igor Radjenovic was beaten after exposing corruption in a road-building company. The authorities indicted two suspects and brought them to trial.

In September, unidentified men attacked Josip Galinec, the CEO of construction giant Industrogradnja, with iron bars on a Zagreb street. Bribery and corruption are the suspected motives behind the attack.

The brutal beating of Luka Ritz, a high school senior who died from his injuries, has also attracted public attention. Ritz's friends and family repeatedly called on the police to capture his killers. His schoolmates became involved in the effort, putting up posters around Zagreb and asking witnesses to come forward.

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's government has come under increased pressure to show it is doing something to stop the violence. Sanader has warned the police that they must respond effectively.

"If the Zagreb police are not ready and capable of doing their job, personnel changes should be made and penalties imposed," he said.

Police have achieved results in the Pukanic case, making quick arrests and working with regional authorities to break up a crime network. That has brought a sense of optimism back to the Croatian capital.

At the end of October, police arrested five people in connection with the Ritz murder. Four were minors; the youngest is 15 years old.

Even more shocking was their stated motive. The attackers said they were bored and were looking for something to do.