ZAGREB, December 8, 2018 – The civil society association called “Rainbow Families”, which brings together LGBT activists, will ask the Constitutional Court to assess if the new foster care law was in line with the Constitution, saying that the law was discriminatory against an entire population group, as it did not enable same-sex couples to be eligible to provide foster carer to children without adequate parental care.
The foster care law that has caused disputes in the ruling coalition was voted in on Friday, with 72 members of parliament voting in favour, four against and six abstaining.
MPs of the Croatian People’s Party (HNS), a partner in the ruling coalition, who made their support for the bill conditional on the adoption of an amendment giving same-sex couples the right to provide foster care, abstained from the vote. Independent MPs Tomislav Saucha and Mario Habek abstained as well.
The opposition did not take part in the vote in a show of protest against the way the ruling majority functions.
MPs Dragana Jeckov and Boris Milošević of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) voted against the bill, as did Italian minority and independent MP Furio Radin, and Mirando Mrsić of the Democrats party.
Prejudices, political calculations and intolerance have prevailed, despite the appeal of over 200 Croatian scientists and experts, the NGO said in a press release, expressing hope the law would change as soon as possible.
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