Slovenian flood victims demand justice, citing state's low settlement and judicial delays

A flood victim has appealed to the Slovenian Prime Minister, demanding action to resolve a protracted legal battle for compensation stemming from the 2012 floods. The victim, who is part of a group affected by the floods, highlighted the unacceptable delays in the judicial process against the company Verbund.

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While the state has settled, we victims are still left in uncertainty and unjustified waiting for the outcome of our proceedings.

Despite the court having legally confirmed Verbund's fundamental liability for the damages and expert assessments detailing the company's fault in managing floodgates, the legal proceedings continue to drag on. The victim pointed out that the state's settlement with Verbund, which implicitly acknowledged guilt, resulted in a significantly lower compensation than initially sought.

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Such a situation, where the state receives only symbolic or low compensation based on the defendant's acknowledged guilt, while individuals who suffered personal damage cannot obtain justice due to judicial inefficiency, is completely unacceptable to us.

This disparity, where the state accepts a minimal settlement while individual victims face prolonged uncertainty due to judicial inefficiency, is deemed unacceptable. The victim implored the Prime Minister to intervene, urging him to request the President of the Maribor Court to review the case and ensure its swift progression. Furthermore, the appeal calls for addressing the unequal standing of the state and individual claimants in the same legal dispute, emphasizing the need for all victims to receive just compensation based on the established and acknowledged liability of the defendant.

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I ask you, as Prime Minister, within your powers, to call on the President of the Maribor Court to examine the situation in this matter and ensure the acceleration of the procedure, which is taking an unacceptably long time.