Human Rights Ombudsman Dr. Jože Ruparčič emphasised today at the Parliamentary Commission for Petitions and Human Rights, where the case of violence at Brežice Elementary School was discussed, that the Ombudsman strongly condemns all forms of violence and warns that there must be zero tolerance for all forms of violence. "The event in Brežice definitely requires careful and responsible consideration of how to prevent such events in the future and to create a safe and respectful environment for pupils and to protect them from violence. Violence in any form is not acceptable, acts of violence can have serious consequences for the health and development of children and young people," he said.

The Ombudsman notes with regret that the rise of violence among young people, which is becoming a big and serious problem in many schools in Slovenia, and is by no means limited only to representatives of the Roma community, so solutions must be sought in this regard. Especially in Dolenjska, the urgent need to immediately solve the wider challenges of the coexistence of the Roma and majority population is becoming more and more apparent, something that the Ombudsman has been pointing out for many years. All parties must feel accepted, heard, and safe. During field visits and on the basis of the complaints discussed, we perceive many problems related to the coexistence of the Roma and the majority population. The Ombudsman is convinced that it is the duty of the state, and not just the municipalities, to use positive measures to enable safe coexistence and at the same time protect the rights of the Roma community and the majority population.

It is also necessary to find an appropriate approach so that more Roma children finish at least primary school, as the statistics for certain regions are catastrophic, and the consequences of an unstimulating environment can also be reflected in the aggressive and inappropriate behaviour of Roma children and adolescents both in and out of school. In the light of cooperation, it is also necessary to address the housing issue in Roma settlements, including access to water, electricity, and other infrastructure, as all of this is a prerequisite for the integration of children into the environment. "Without electricity, it is difficult to expect children to study and do their homework during the winter, when the days are short, without water, to go to school tidy and clean, and so on. It would be appropriate to transfer examples of good coexistence, such as the settlement of Püšča in Prekmurje, elsewhere as well," said Deputy Ombudsman Dr. Jože Ruparčič.

He also emphasised that all children have the right to a safe and stimulating environment, which is why the responsibility of school professionals, especially principals, is particularly important, as they are obliged to ensure that none of the pupils at school are exposed to verbal or even physical violence from other pupils. The Human Rights Ombudsman often emphasises the need to strengthen the culture of non-violence and tolerance in schools and to systematically and systematically educate and teach children and adolescents in the spirit of respectful coexistence. "We expect the authorities to carry out a detailed analysis of each of the cases where violence occurs at school, which is still repeated later, and to clarify the reasons why the continuation of the violence could not be prevented and to implement any necessary and appropriate solutions," added the Deputy Ombudsman.