Article 1
This Act regulates the terms and procedures for providing protection and assistance to endangered persons, exposed to severe danger for life, health, corporal inviolability, freedom or property of large scale arising from witnessing in criminal proceedings for criminal offences anticipated in this Act.
Inclusion of endangered person into the Protection scheme is voluntary.
Application of measures from this Act in connection with the endangered minors may not be undertaken without approval of parents or trustee. Concerning the persons with restricted capacity or legally incapacitated persons, such approval is granted by the person authorized to represent the endangered person in accordance with the law or by the trustee.
Article 2
Certain expressions used in this Act have the following meanings:
1. Endangered person: a person whose inclusion into the Protection scheme is justified due to possibility of life, health, corporal inviolability, freedom or property endangering of large scale to herself or to persons related to him, because of importance of information known to him for the criminal proceeding.
2. Close person: is a household member to endangered person as well as any other member designated by him to be included into the Protection scheme.
3. Included person: a person having concluded the contract to be included into the Protection scheme.
4. Protection unit is a separate organizational unit within the Police Administration, Ministry of Interior in charge of Protection scheme execution.
5. Protection scheme: consists of measures and activities executed and organized by the Protection unit and competent body for prison administration of the ministry competent for justice affairs in accordance with provisions of this Act in order to protect the included persons.
6. Board: is a body prescribed by this Act, authorized to bring decisions on inclusion and interruption of Protection scheme execution as well as other activities prescribed by this Act.
Article 3
Application of this Act is possible when there exists a possibility that a witness, due to a possible threat, would not freely testify in a criminal proceeding for grievous crimes; against the Republic of Croatia; against values protected by international law; crimes with elements of violence; organized crime and other grievous criminal offences when there were information about large scale dangers for life, health, corporal inviolability or property of the witness, while the witnessing is connected with disproportional difficulties without witnessing of endangered witness.
