Croatia's Minister of Justice Damir Habijan has presented three major proposals to reform the penal system. The package includes the introduction of life imprisonment for the first time, protective supervision for prisoners who have completed their sentences, and indefinite monitoring in a special institution for individuals deemed dangerous to society.
Habijan stated that the most significant proposal is the third one. According to it, individuals who have served their sentences and can no longer be legally detained but are considered socially dangerous could be placed in a special institution under special supervision.
The proposals were prompted by a killing incident in May in the city of Drniš. Kristijan Aleksic, a previously convicted and released prisoner, killed 19-year-old high school graduate Luka Milovac, who was delivering pizza to his home, without any provocation.
Habijan said that if the changes are adopted, the state will be able to keep the most dangerous criminals indefinitely outside prison. He also emphasized that the current system's limitations are clearly visible.
Currently, the maximum sentence in the country is 50 years, applied in cases of multiple long-term imprisonments. For a single serious crime, the maximum sentence is 40 years. The 50-year sentence has been applied only four times in Croatia so far.
Appeals for two of these cases are still ongoing, with deadlines in 2024 and 2025. In 2021, Austrian Harald Kopitz was sentenced to 50 years for aggravated murder of his three children, but the case ended when he committed suicide in prison.
In the fourth case, involving murder and attempted murder charges, the Supreme Criminal Court reduced the sentence from 50 to 40 years.
Habijan noted that models from other countries were examined and that the German model was preferred as it has passed European Court of Human Rights scrutiny. The minister also stressed the need to send a clear message that life imprisonment will be imposed on those committing such crimes.
Habijan added that Croatia and Portugal are currently the only two countries without life imprisonment sentences.
