The parliamentary group of the Green-Left Bloc said on Wednesday that there was a pandemic of sexual violence against women and warned about cases of cover-up at the University and the HRT public broadcaster, calling for a discussion on that in the parliament.

There is no safe place for women to report sexual harassment or violence. At the Academy of Dramatic Arts, six out of 27 reports were signed, and women are looking for a safe way to report anonymously because that guarantees safety, Rada Boric told a press conference in the parliament’s building.

We are asking, she added, that the burden of proof not be on women and the Criminal Code be amended so that a crime against women cannot be subject to statute of limitations, that is, that women do not need to report the offence within three months.

She called on the public not to downplay cases of sexual abuse, noting that inappropriate behaviour is also sexual abuse.

We are asking for violence to be taken seriously because there is a pandemic of sexual violence against women today, and it seems as if no one is interested in whether a vaccine against that pandemic can be found, Boric said, reminding of the cases in the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP), police, Academy of Dramatic Arts and the HRT public broadcaster.

Damir Bakic said that we are witness to a very large number of reports of sexual harassment, and even violence, at the University of Zagreb, which is something we must oppose with great vigor while helping victims and punishing perpetrators.

It is especially important that the academic community does this because it holds the responsibility to resolutely show its opposition to and zero tolerance for such cases, he said.

However, the office of the rector is doing just the opposite and the rector has recently covered up one such case, Bakic said.

Sandra Bencic called on MPs to start a discussion in the parliament on cases of sexual violence being covered up at the HRT public broadcaster.