On 10 July 2025, Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter and her colleagues carried out an unannounced monitoring visit to the Home for Older Persons in Gospić.
The purpose of the visit was to determine the extent to which the Ombudswoman’s recommendations and warnings have been implemented, after last year the institution established that older residents had been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, along with numerous other human rights violations in the Home.
In order to improve conditions in the Home, immediately after last year’s visit the Ombudswoman alerted the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy about the unacceptable living conditions and extremely poor treatment of older persons in the Gospić Home. In addition, the Home and the Ministry were sent a series of recommendations and warnings in the visit report.
After receiving all requested responses, which set out the steps already taken and those still planned to implement the recommendations and improve the conditions and treatment of older persons in the Home, the Ombudswoman is now verifying the actual situation through this monitoring visit.
The Ombudswoman also informed the Croatian Parliament of the extremely poor conditions and the inhuman and degrading treatment in the Gospić Home in her 2024 Annual Report, in the chapters Rights of Older Persons and Homes for Older Persons: Performance of the National Preventive Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The Report highlights that the situation in the old building of the Gospić Home, particularly regarding the care of immobile residents, is a cause for serious concern. For example, during the visit one resident was found lying in a bed soaked with urine, while another used a wash basin under the bed to empty a urine container. In another room, where two immobile older women were accommodated, one had faeces on her legs while the other was tearing a dirty disposable diaper and scattering it around the room and bed. The Ombudswoman also noted that some residents had unhealed surgical wounds which were left unprotected.
In accordance with her statutory powers, the Ombudswoman carries out unannounced visits to places where persons under her protection are accommodated, and, when acting as the National Preventive Mechanism, to places where persons are deprived of their liberty and cannot leave voluntarily.
During such visits, she has the right to obtain all requested data and information and to speak, without supervision, with any person accommodated or employed in those institutions.
You can read more about such visits in the Ombudswoman’s Annual Reports.
