Representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Police Inspectorate of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia presented at the today's press conference activities in the field of supervision over protection of public events and personal protection, and responded to some current incidents in catering establishments in Ljubljana.

Participants in the press conference (from left to rights): Simon Savski, Head of the Private Security Division and other security tasks from the Directorate for police and other security tasks at Ministry of Interior, Mateja Rokvič, Chief Inspector at the Slovenian Inspectorate of the Interior, and Janez Ogulin, Head of General Police Section in Uniformed Police Directorate at General Police Directorate, and  Stanislav Vrečar, Director of the Ljubljana Police Directorate

Investigation of the incident at Mala ulica in Ljubljana

At 1:29 on 9 April 2009 a citizen informed the operation and communication centre of the Lubljana Police Directorate that he saw how two men dragged a person behind a catering establishment on Mala ulica in Ljubljana. A police patrol was dispatched to the site of the incident and collected first information. Police officers noticed a 41-year old man approximately 20 m from the entrance into the establishment, in a half-seated position leaning with his back against the tree, by his side were 3 citizens who were reviving him with water. The victim had no visible injuries, except for a small drop of blood from the nose; he was half-conscious and did not respond to questions from the police officers.

Police officers called for an ambulance. At the insistence of police officers, the man was taken to hospital.

On the same day, about 12:00, the Ljubljana PD was informed by the University Medical Centre that the victim had sustained serious physical injuries. The Ljubljana PD initiated a criminal investigation on the basis of the grounds for suspicion of a criminal offence that is prosecuted ex officio.

On the basis of the collected information and evidence, the police, on 13 May, arrested a 34-year-old man from Ljubljana on the grounds of reasonable suspicion  that he had committed a crime of causing an aggravated bodily injury, and brought him on the very same day - with a criminal complaint and motion to the State Prosecutor Office to issue arrest order - before an investigating judge, who released him after interrogation.

In the morning on 14 May 2009 the Ljubljana Medical Centre informed the police directorate that the victim had died. The police directorate informed the competent prosecutor's office of the new facts, however, the police did not receive any new instructions from the prosecutor's office. Based on the findings of the investigation, the police have submitted a written report to the Inspectorate of the Interior and the Labour Inspectorate.

In dealing with the case, police officers carried out all measures in accordance with their legal powers and professional rules. The police collected evidence by means of a criminal investigation, arrested and brought the suspect before the investigating judge and filed a criminal compliant against him.

Stanislav Vrečar, Director of the Ljubljana PU

Investigation of the incident at Kranjčeva ulica in Ljubljana

At about 2:10 on 16 May 2009, the Bežigrad Police Station  was informed by a security guard that at the event premises of the catering establishment in Krajnčeva ulica a violation of law and order had occurred. By collecting information on the site, the police officers found that a group of unknown persons had physically attacked a 32-year -old Ljubljana inhabitant. A 25-year- old guest of the establishment wanted to prevent the brawl, but the unknown man had also beaten him. The unknown perpetrators and the 32-year-old victim left the place before arrival of the police.

After first gathering information, the police started to check the nearby streets in order to find the victim and establish the state of facts of the violation. Then they returned to the vicinity of the establishment, where the security guard informed them of a new fight. The police officers immediately entered in the event staging area, where, however, they could not see any fight going on. Only the 32-year-old man was on the site, the other perpetrators had left the scene. In gathering information, police officers established that the 32-year- old suspect (in the case described in the previous paragraph he was the victim) had returned to the establishment and had, together with unknown perpetrators, physically attacked  two security guards.

As the participants in the brawl were injured, the police called for an ambulance. The 32-year-old  suspect and one of the security guards refused medical assistance on the site. The second security guard and one of the visitors were taken to the Ljubljana Medical Centre. According to the data currently available to the police, two persons sustained slight physical injuries.

Due to the intensity of the fight and injuries, the police began to collect information based on the suspicion of violent crime commitment, the suspects of which are the 32-year-old man and up to now unidentified perpetrators. The establishment of state of facts was aggravated because the 32-year  old man and other guests of the establishment were not prepared to cooperate with the police.

The police were conducting the procedure professionally and in accordance with law also in this case. Upon the arrival of police officers on the site, the fight had already ended, therefore some police officers started to establish the extent of injuries and offered first aid. Other police officers were establishing what had actually happened in the event staging area, while the remaining police officers protected the investigation procedure. The intervention took place late at night, when about 600 persons were on the event staging area, a number of them under the influence of alcohol. Professional rules and experiences in conducting such investigation procedures require that some police officers carry out the procedures, while others provide protection for them. During the procedure, police officers also established the offence of improper conduct towards an official person.

Currently, the police are carrying out intensive investigation in order to establish the identity of other participants in the fight, and collect information in connection with the suspected violent offence. After concluding the investigation, the police will inform the competent prosecutor' office about the findings. At the same time, the police are also conducting investigation as regards violation of the Act Restricting the Use of Alcohol and the Public Gathering Act.

Janez Ogulin, Head of General Police Section in Uniformed Police Directorate at GPD

The police devote much attention to ensuring public order and peace in catering establishments, particularly at weekends, ensuring the presence of a larger number of police officers at all locations where offences against public order and peace occur.

Simon Savski, Head of the Private Security Division and other security tasks

The appropriate response level of the police is also confirmed by statistical data on the response time for calls requiring intervention (emergency calls) in the field of public peace and order in the territory of the whole country, which amounts on average to 10.59 minutes (for urgent emergency calls), and 21.30 minutes for all other calls.

Cooperation of citizens in the establishment of the actual circumstances is very important, as they are often the only source of information about the actual course of an event.

Mateja Rokvič, Chief Inspector at the Slovenian Inspectorate of the Interior

Inspection in the concrete case on Mala ulica in Ljubljana

The procedure of extraordinary inspection in case of the event on Mala ulica is still underway. With regard to the sensitivity of the matter, the Inspectorate must establish all facts and circumstances of the tragic event, but above all, it must establish whether on that day security guarding was carried out on the premises. Namely, the Inspectorate cannot and must not decide merely on the basis of a suspicion, but needs firm evidence for its decisions.

The Inspectorate is intensively cooperating with the police, and if necessary, it will involve other inspectorates in the procedure of establishing the facts.
In the case of the event on Kranjčeva ulica, security guarding was organised in accordance with the Private Security Act.

Supervision over security services at public events and over private security services

The number of supervisions (inspections) in the field of private security increases from year to year: In 2004, 29 inspections were carried out in the field of private security; in 2005, 66 inspections; in 2006, 86 inspections; in 2007, 109 inspections; and last year, 174 inspections. It must be emphasised that despite the increasing number of inspections, the quality of performed supervision does not deteriorate, since for some security providers, inspection lasted even several days, and in larger private security firms, several inspectors were involved in inspections.

In this year, the Inspectorate has begun to carry out inspections also with the owners of discos and night clubs in accordance with the Decree on compulsory provision of security services. Until April 2009, 29 such inspections were carried out.