Mothers of children with disabilities on hunger strike in Bečej: 'Shameful to have money for entertainment, but not for our children'

Two mothers in Bečej, Serbia, have initiated a hunger strike outside the municipal building, protesting the alleged refusal to reimburse them for transporting their children with disabilities to school. Iva Hromiš, one of the striking mothers and a local councilor, stated they are not asking for charity but for the law to be respected.

Hromiš explained that she and another mother, Kristina Demeter Filipčev, have been paying for their children's transportation for years and have had their refund requests denied. They attempted to meet with the municipal president and his deputy, but were informed the president was unavailable until the following day, a delay they found unacceptable. The mothers plan to continue their strike, returning home at night to care for their children.

Filipčev, also a journalist, highlighted that the municipality is not adhering to regulations, including the Law on Combating Discrimination and the Law on the Foundations of the Education System, which mandate the refund of transportation costs for children with disabilities. They are preparing to file a lawsuit with the Administrative Court over the rejection of their appeal.

Earlier, the mothers were reportedly offered a basic reimbursement amount, calculated based on the school year months and the cost of non-existent public transport, in exchange for waiving future claims. While they reluctantly agreed to consider this proposal, they are now pursuing legal avenues due to the ongoing dispute.

The mothers are demanding that the municipality comply with the law and provide the legally mandated reimbursements for their children's educational transport. They hope a resolution can be reached to avoid prolonged legal battles.

“

Stupamo u štrajk glađu zato što opština ne poštuje propise, počevši od Zakona o borbi protiv diskriminacije do Zakona o osnovama sistema obrazovanja i vaspitanja koji predviđa refundaciju troškova dece sa invaliditetom i smetnjama u razvoju