The Zadar County Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday informed that it had appealed a decision made by the Zadar Court's investigating judge to overrule the prosecution's earlier request for investigative custody to be set against five suspects for gang-raping a minor and instead issued a restraining order.

The county prosecutor’s office said on its web site that there was founded suspicion that the suspects had committed a serious crime against sexual freedom, lewd acts, abuse of children for pornography, threats and bodily harm.

A Zadar County Court judicial panel will decide on the appeal.

Gender equality ombudswoman, Visnja Ljubicic earlier in the day warned that in cases where a victim and perpetrator live in a smaller community it was exceptionally important to provide urgent protection for the victim to avoid any additional victimisation.

She added that she could not comment on the specific case in which the police filed criminal charges against seven youths on suspicion of gang-rape of a minor in their community over the period of one year or the judge’s decision to release the youths from pre-trial detention.

The Ministry of Justice on Monday said that it “strongly condemns every form of violence,” and that it would closely monitor this judicial process.

Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic on Tuesday said that he could not say whether the judge had made a mistake in releasing the suspects pending trial because that would mean meddling in the work of the judiciary.