MINISTER KARAN AND DIRECTOR KOSTREŠEVIĆ ATTENDED THE FIRST LECTURE FOR STUDENTS WITHIN THE CAMPAIGN ‘WEAPON DOESN’T PROTECT, WEAPON KILLS’
| Banja Luka | Tuesday, 23/05/2023
The Republic of Srpska Minister of the Interior, Mr Sininša Karan, and the Republic of Srpska Police Director, Mr Siniša Kostrešević, attended today the first lecture organized for students within the campaign ‘Weapon doesn’t protect, weapon kills’ in ‘Petar Kočić’ primary school, in Prijedor.
‘After the tragic events that occurred in Serbia, we put special emphasis on the significance of these lectures’, Minister Karan said and pointed out that the lectures are intended for students, educational workers and parents of children in primary and secondary schools.
He reminded that the Republic of Srpska Ministry of the Interior had been implementing various education sessions in primary and secondary schools on all security risks for children and youth for the purpose of preventing peer violence and juvenile delinquency, and that this was only one of the similar campaigns that would be implemented on the territory of the Republic of Srpska by 9 June.
Minister Karan explained that the two key aspects were the danger from the legal weapon and the danger from illegal weapon. He noted that adults who possess legal weapon must pay special attention to keeping it properly and prevent children from being in contact to weapon, and that the adults who threw a weapon somewhere had to be aware that a child may find it.
‘Last year we did not have such cases in the Republic of Srpska, but two years ago, we had two tragedies, one in Kalinovik and Derventa’, Minister Karan said.
He said that last year, the Republic of Srpska Ministry of the Interior seized 900 pieces of weapons and more than 20,000 pieces of ammunition; more than 900 pieces of weapons were handed over voluntarily and 109 mines and explosives that were a latent danger were found.
The director of ‘Petar Kočić’ primary school, Ms Gorana Bosančić, said she was pleased that the school would be the host to the campaign ‘Weapon doesn’t protect, weapon kills’, and expressed her belief that the lectures would affect children to better consider the risks of the use of firearms.
‘We have witnessed several tragic events both in our country and our neighbour countries, and therefore, we are even more dedicated to working with children and we cooperate more with all institutions, and one of the institutions we cooperate the most is Prijedor PA’, director Bosančić said.
The prevention campaigns ‘Weapon doesn’t protect, weapon kills’ is going to last from 22 May to 9 June this year.
The Ministry is implementing the campaign as a part of the project ‘PILLAR’ with the support of UNDP BIH and the Coordination board for the control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
