Serbian Church May Face UK Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

By Maja Zivanovic
BIRN
December 17, 2018

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/serbian-church-may-face-uk-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-12-14-2018

The Serbian Orthodox Church, which wields considerable influence in the Balkan state, has long been accused of covering up sexual abuse within its ranks.

 A London-based lawyer says he is preparing to file a lawsuit in the UK against the Serbian Orthodox Church, seeking damages on behalf of six claimants over alleged sexual abuse by its priests.

Mladen Kesar told BIRN the alleged abuse occurred in Serbia and ethnic Serb areas of Bosnia and Croatia, but that due to strong ties between the state and the Serbian Orthodox Church the claimants were unlikely to find justice in local courts.

“We are in the process of finalising this claim, which we are hoping to file within the next few days, subject to counsel’s advice and availability,” Kesar told BIRN on December 12.

Reports of alleged sexual abuse by Orthodox clergy occasionally surface in the Balkans but the Church, which wields considerable influence among ethnic Serbs in the region, has consistently refused to address the issue in public and has faced accusations of trying to cover up abuse and protect alleged perpetrators.