Safe House in Vranje officially opens

Safe House in Vranje officially opens

BELGRADE -- A public ceremony was held in Vranje, southern Serbia, on Thursday for the opening another Safe House for the victims of domestic violence.

U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Michael Kirby handed over the object to the city government, while the Mayor of Vranje Zoran Antic, President of the Board of Directors of B92 Fund Veran Matic, and Head of the Office of Defense Cooperation of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade Colonel Taft Blackburn and other guests attended today's ceremony.

The Safe House in Vranje will cover the entire District of Pcinje, including the municipalities of Trgoviste, Surdulica, Bujanovac, Presevo, Vladicin Han and Bosilegrad. The whole object is about 300 sq meters and its capacity is designed to accommodate up to 25 persons. It is composed of 8 bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a dining room, office space, a laundry room and four sanitary facilities.

It is secured with video surveillance that covers complete space around the house. The United States European Command (EUCOM), via its Office of Defense Cooperation of the U.S. Embassy invested USD 213,000 in constructing this object. Construction works were launched back in August 2014, and were conducted under the close monitoring of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The object was designed and built by the Company Noveco based in Vranje.

This project was conducted in partnership with the B92 Fund as a part of national campaign launched with the aim of raising awareness in public on the issue of family violence and securing safe houses for its victims. The city of Vranje provided location, along with all other necessary communal utilities for the staff of Safe house, while the B92 Fund had found donors that furnished this...