Serbian Mothers Strike for Rights Amid Institutional Neglect

In Bečej, Serbia, mothers of children with developmental disabilities are finding themselves on the front lines, acting as the last defense for their children when institutions fail. The experiences of Iva Hromiš and Kristina Demetrev Filipčev illustrate the immense personal cost borne by individuals when state institutions neglect their duties, even when legal rights are already established.

These mothers have navigated hospital traumas and fought for diagnoses, but their struggle escalated to a hunger strike when their demands for legally guaranteed rights were ignored. Hromiš, a mother of a boy on the autism spectrum and a local councilor, has long advocated for the rights of children with developmental disabilities. Demetrev Filipčev, a journalist and mother of a boy with severe cerebral palsy, has spent 15 years fighting for dignity and adherence to the law.

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Kada država ne poštuje sopstvene zakone, a institucije godinama okreću glavu od najranjivijih, roditelji postaju poslednja linija odbrane svoje dece. Priče Ive Hromiš i Kristine Demetrev Filipčev nisu priče o ličnoj nesreći, već o sistemu koji porodice dece sa smetnjama u razvoju i invaliditetom prečesto ostavljaju same.

Their hunger strike began in June, protesting the years-long denial of reimbursement for transporting their children to and from school. Both mothers claimed they had been paying these costs out of pocket. Demetrev Filipčev also faced significant obstacles when trying to gather data on children with disabilities in Bečej, encountering fragmented information from various institutions that made accurate counts impossible. She estimates there are over 100 such children in the town, with around 40 receiving personal assistance, while some are unable to attend school at all due to their immobility.

The story also touches upon the maturity and resilience of siblings growing up in these families. Hromiš shared how her older son, Ognjen, who is 13, has taken on significant caregiving responsibilities for his younger brother, Relja, who has developmental disabilities. Ognjen's maturity, she noted, far exceeds that of his peers, demonstrating a profound sense of responsibility developed through his family's circumstances. The mothers' fight underscores a systemic issue where families are left to shoulder burdens that should be managed by the state, forcing them into arduous battles for basic support and recognition.

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Po mojoj proceni, sigurno ih ima više od 100. Ali ako gledamo broj ličnih pratilaca, to je oko 40-ak. Nažalost, postoje i deca koja, uprkos tome što je osnovno obrazovanje zakonom obavezno, ne idu u školu jer su sasvim nepokretna. Nalaze se u stanju, kao što nam skoro svima u porodilištu ili kasnije govorili - 'dajte ga u neki dom, pa rodite sebi zdravu decu'