Legal Family Problems Protection of Raped Women and Their Children

Silovanja žena tijekom ratu u Hrvatskoj, a osobito u BiH, nametnula su, uz niz etičkih pitanja, i ona o pravnom statusu silovanjem začete djece. U člansku se iznose različiti oblici pravne pomoći i zaštite u vezi s trudnoćom odnosno porodom djece kao posljedicom masovnog silovanja žena. Posebice se naglašava različit pravni položaj žena državljanki Republike Hrvatske od onih iz BiH i objašnjavaju se mehanizmi socijalnog zbrinjavanja, prekida trudnoće i obiteljsko-pravnih instituta zbrinjavanja djece. U okviru postojećih instituta obiteljskog prava analizira se problem materinstva djece začete silovanjem i potom ostavljene, presumpcije očinstva i roditeljsko pravo nad takvom djecom. Posebna je pažnja usmjerena prema pravima djece i tzv. međudržavnom usvojenju kao pravnoj mogućnosti iznalaženja bolje (pravne) sudbine za ostavljenu, silovanjem začetu djecu.The problem of raped women in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular has imposed not only many ethical questions, but also those concerned with the legal status of thus conceived children. The paper gives different forms of legal help and protection in connection with pregnancy or the birth of children which are the consequence of the mass crimes of rape. Particular stress has been given to a different legal status of women who are citizens of the Republic of Croatia, as opposed to those who are citizens of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mechanism of social care, abortions and family and legal institutes for child care are explained. Within the framework of the existing institutes of family law, the problem of motherhood of the so conceived and then abandoned children is analyzed, as well as the presumption of fatherhood and parental rights over such children. Particular attention has been given to the rights of these children and to the so called international adoption, being a legal possibility for finding a better (legal) destiny for children who were conceived as a result of rape and then abandoned