Prime Minister Golob: "The Šutar Act provides answers on how to enhance public safety"
Prime Minister Robert Golob | Author Bor Slana, STA
"Today I speak to you as Prime Minister – as someone responsible for the safety of all Slovenians. But I also speak to you as a father who wants his children not only to walk to school without worry but also to spend time with their friends – and as a father who could just as easily have found himself in the same situation as Aleš Šutar, a man who, out of concern for his children, happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and paid the highest price," the Prime Minister said in his opening remarks.
He went on to explain the purpose of the Šutar Act, which was approved by the Government today. "The Šutar Act provides certain answers on how we can increase safety in society, how to take a stand against crime – not against any particular ethnic group, but against crime itself – and how to protect victims, especially from violence. It also addresses how to protect underage victims and the children of underage mothers throughout the Republic of Slovenia," he said.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the Šutar Act is not primarily punitive but preventive. "By granting additional powers to the police, we aim to ensure that weapons are confiscated as quickly as possible. This is a security issue – how to prevent illegal weapons from circulating anywhere in Slovenia, and how the police can respond to this challenge immediately after they are used," he explained.
According to the Prime Minister, the Šutar Act brings several significant changes to criminal policy. He first highlighted the proposal on the weighing of evidence, under which judges may decide to consider even inadmissible evidence if this is necessary given the seriousness of the crime.
The Government is also redefining its approach to violent acts. "Until now, in cases of violent behaviour resulting in minor bodily injury or involving dangerous objects, the victim had to file a request for prosecution. This will now change. Such offences will be prosecuted ex officio. The responsibility will lie with the state to identify perpetrators and ensure they are properly sanctioned," the Prime Minister said.
The Act also introduces provisions on children's rights and measures to prevent individuals who repeatedly break the law from feeling untouchable. "The Šutar Act makes it clear that the right to child benefit belongs to the child – not to their parents, and certainly not to their grandparents. Therefore, when a child is born to a minor mother, the Social Work Centre must intervene to ensure the benefit reaches the right hands," he stressed.
He made clear that this does not mean taking away benefits or depriving children of their rights. "What we are removing is the ability for someone in the family to take possession of that right and spend the money for entirely different purposes – not for the child," the Prime Minister explained. He added that in the case of mothers under the age of 15, the Social Work Centre will be required to carry out a mandatory assessment of whether the child should be taken into protection, in order to safeguard both the child and the underage mother.
"The Šutar Act also introduces enforcement measures relating to cash social assistance. Recipients of such assistance are not exempt from tax enforcement," said the Prime Minister. At the same time, it brings an important change concerning petty offences, which will now be reclassified from criminal offences to minor offences. "These minor offences can now be enforced from cash social assistance or replaced with substitute imprisonment. This will close the loophole that allowed petty theft to go unpunished. The sense of untouchability and impunity will disappear, as for the first time the state will be able to effectively address this problem, which is particularly widespread in southeastern Slovenia," he said.
He added that child benefits will remain protected and will be transferred to the Social Work Centre in cases of enforcement on cash social assistance. "A person who repeatedly commits minor offences and is unable to pay fines cannot remain an automatic recipient of child benefits. The state must take care of such children through the appropriate services," he said. "I believe that, in this way, we will protect children on the one hand and, on the other, strengthen public order and safety through all the accompanying measures."
The Prime Minister noted that due to exceptional circumstances, the Šutar Act was drafted under tight time constraints, and that there would be sufficient opportunity for amendments during parliamentary consideration. "This Government and this coalition are committed to protecting human rights within the existing constitutional framework. We have paid close attention to this, and I believe that the expert bodies have done their work well. If it turns out that there is a better solution, we will be happy to listen," he emphasised, adding that the situation in Slovenia – particularly in the southeast – demands immediate, swift and effective action.
"The Šutar Act is intended to ensure that weapons are detected and confiscated as quickly as possible, that victims are protected promptly, that perpetrators are punished, and that repeat offenders are finally held accountable," said the Prime Minister.
Finally, he announced that the Government had also adopted a decision to activate Article 37 of the Defence Act. "This provision allows the police to call upon members of the Slovenian Armed Forces for assistance with a very limited set of tasks at the border. The article was activated today on the basis of a plan prepared by the police. In the coming days, implementation will begin as outlined at the Government session, allowing the police to be strengthened with the personnel resources of the Slovenian Armed Forces," concluded Prime Minister Robert Golob.