Quoting witnesses, some media reported today that a group of Roma children were beaten up by four police officers. However, after investigating the case, the police stated that the children had not been abused.
Police department spokeswoman Gordana Vulama said the children aged 11, 12, 14 and 17 had talked to the police in the presence of a social worker and denied any abuse by the police.
The children underwent a medical examination and it was established that there were no injuries or visible signs of abuse. The police officers too denied having abused the children. Police officials said that two witnesses had confirmed that the children were not abused, while the other two witnesses gave conflicting statements about the behaviour of the police.
The police said that the established facts did not provide enough evidence to start disciplinary proceedings against the four police officers.
The Roma children were reported to the police for shop lifting in a shop in the centre of Zagreb. They had arrived in Zagreb from another town without their parents.