Croatia
Of particular concern to MDAC and its partners in Croatia is the level of stigma faced by people with intellectual and mental health disabilities, and the consequent denial of their most basic human rights.
This stigma and abuse is perpetuated at all levels of society - in the general community, within families and by professionals and government. Stigma and the risk of abuse is made worse by unnecesssary institutionalisation, and therefore invisibility, of people with disabilities from Croatian society. Help MDAC to change this situation.
We are working with Croatian organisations on a project funded by the European Commission’s Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilization (CARDS) program. The aim of the project entitled “Bridging the Gap: Civil Society Promoting Access to Justice for People with Mental Disabilities in Croatia” is to assist Croatian civil society organisations in monitoring obstacles to justice for people with disabilities and in establishing access mechanisms which will strengthen rule of law. The main activities for the two year project are supporting Croatian civil society to take an active role in disability issues.
Activities include research and roundtables on guardianship law and practice; monitoring human rights compliance in mental health and social care institutions; looking at judicial performance in civil commitment hearings; providing outreach and legal advice and assistance; training law students; and taking cases to court. The aim of the roundtables is to give civil society and the government the opportunity to publicly agree action plans for reform.
Working in Zagreb and two counties the project will contribute to overcoming social isolation experienced by people with intellectual and mental health disabilities in Croatia and increasing their opportunities for participation in the community.
What has been achieved?
With its partners MDAC is investigating weaknesses in Croatian mental health law and policy and assessing their level of compliance with international human rights standards which include the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Croatia ratified in August 2007. A formal report will be published in due course.
MDAC will also shortly publish its ‘Guardianship and Human Rights: Analysis of Law and Policy in Croatia” report, prepared as part of a multi-country research project into guardianship.
We are also formally monitoring mental health and social care institutions, the first NGO monitoring of both types of institution in Croatia. In March 2007 monitors were trained, and monitoring of 13 institutions took place in summer 2007. A report will be issued shortly.
With the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, we are examining whether courts respect the rights of people whose detention in mental health institutions is reviewed by courts. Following this, training will be provided to judges in 2008 to remedy identified weaknesses.
We are also working with the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb on educating a new generation of disability lawyers.
Please consider supporting our work in Croatia and elsewhere by making a donation to MDAC.
The Project Partners
MDAC'S work in Croatia and the publication of this webpage is financed by the European Union. The contents of this and any other document in the framework of the "Bridging the Gap" project are the sole responsibility of MDAC and partners and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.
