The anticipated reforms and enhancements in mental health care in Montenegro following the tragic events in Cetinje on January 1st have proven to be mere rhetoric. The government that made these promises not only failed to deliver but also misled the public, according to an open letter from the NGO Anima – Center for Women’s and Peace Education addressed to Health Minister Vojislav Šimun and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić.

“We speak from the real world – one not depicted through PowerPoint slides, fanciful investments, or Twitter updates. A world where people seek answers, support, and the truth, rather than PR messages. It seems you expect us to forget. Even the tragedy in Cetinje, which served as a profound warning for Montenegro, failed to pull you from your bureaucratic slumber. At that time, you announced reforms, enhanced care, and developmental changes. Now, half a year later, you suggest – injustice and violence are normal conditions; remain silent within your four walls since it could be worse,” reads the letter signed by NGO Anima members Ljubomirka Ljupka Kovačević, Ervina Dabižinović, Julijana Cicović, and Aleksandra Kovačević, issued on the occasion of July 13 – Statehood Day.

They mention that they were invited to a meeting at the Prime Minister’s office on January 16th of this year. Believing that experts were summoned to discuss the aftermath of mass crimes leading to traumatic experiences, they attended.

“We soon realized our invitation came only because the previous government disregarded our prior requests. You greeted us warmly, and we shared our insights on the situation, acknowledging the valuable work of our colleagues in the field – as you had no suggestions for us. We made two minimal requests: one focused on equipping your ministers with a fundamental understanding of trauma, as the healing of traumatized individuals relies on their decisions, and the second related to convening a working group of all professionals involved in Cetinje to determine long-term approaches to trauma resolution. Our visionary request called for the establishment of a Trauma Institute within mental health frameworks,” the letter asserts.

The NGO Anima states that they were made aware of a plan to enhance and safeguard mental health and felt optimistic as they believed this offered a significant opportunity to include the Trauma Institute.

“You promised to consider it, and the initial proposal was accepted during the meeting held on March 18. However, its implementation was assigned to officials, and during the meeting, we provided three hours of proposals, but there was ‘no time’ for follow-up. The rest was ‘lost in translation,’ and our voices faded into obscurity. Tragically, so did trauma treatment and prevention,” the organization emphasizes.

They recall that the Ministry of Health subsequently presented a document to Parliament and the public titled the Program for the Protection and Improvement of Mental Health 2025/6 (15.05.2025).

“This document is a marketing effort devoid of reform content, integrity, and crucially, reality. It acknowledges no victims, no Medovina, no January 1st incidents, no trauma, and shows a complete lack of political will to confront traumatic experiences. It excludes patients, modern psychiatry, and psychotherapy in Montenegro,” the letter critiques.

The NGO Anima stated to Spajić and Šimunović that the intention was to shroud mental health in Montenegro in darkness.

“Literally in the dark: untouched by reforms, unperturbed by programs, and unengaged with real people. The media’s current narrative regarding Dobrota (where we have worked and understand its conditions) resembles reports from torture chambers. A significant part of this is attributable to your administration. The suffering of the ill is compounded, and you conflate crime with their illness. You criminalize them, complicating their escape from ‘Dobrota.’ This is the portrayal of your Europeanism, humanity, ethics, and professionalism; your successful endeavors in the ‘Black Hole’ (as you informally refer to Montenegro)!”

“For us, July 13th continues to represent a holiday of hope and a moral obligation to uphold humanity and anti-fascism. Thus, let this letter serve as a public reminder: you did not merely fail. You – intentionally – misled. Our collective trauma has an impeccable memory that cannot be deceived; it requires patient and trustworthy care over time. Unfortunately, we have patience and hope, but not in you any longer,” they concluded in their address.

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