Over 160,000 Kuna was raised on Friday to help and protect victims of domestic violence at a #SPASIME Fund charity event organised by the #SPASIME Initiative and the SOLIDARNA Human Rights and Solidarity Foundation.

The money was raised at an auction of works by Croatian artists and via a call centre. Present were public, cultural and political figures, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic and Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy Minister Nada Mrganic.

The #SPASIME Fund was established by the #SPASIME Initiative and the SOLIDARNA Foundation, which are raising funds until the end of July for financial, legal, psychological, medical and housing assistance to victims.

Prime Minister Plenkovic underlined that the government had joined the #SPASIME Initiative. He recalled that earlier in the day he met with the heads of six counties which still have no safe houses, announcing that this problem should be resolved by the end of the year with the help of EU funds.

“I remind you that last year we ratified the Istanbul Convention. Nothing negative has happened. The government has drawn up a document which says which institution does what. A hotline was also opened at which one can get help around the clock. It’s also important to work on education so that one learns from an early age that violence is wrong,” he said.

Plenkovic said VAT would not have to be paid on the funds raised at the event.

Murganic said there were 1,381 complaints against welfare centres last year and that her ministry looked into every case. “Social services are outdated, so we’ll amend the law,” she added.

As for amendments to laws on domestic violence and violence against women, Minister Bosnjakovic said “three laws are being amended. Our goal is to be faster and more efficient.”

(EUR 1 = 7.41 Croatian Kuna)