North Macedonia Prosecutors Examine Scout Camp Sex Education Scandal

The prosecution in Skopje has opened a preliminary investigation after parents of scouts accused a local scouting organisation in Skopje of organising "improper" sex education games at its recent camp, leaving their children traumatised.

"A public prosecutor who was on duty has been informed about the event and has issued directions to the Interior Ministry regarding actions that need to be taken in order to determine the factual situation," the Basic Prosecution in Skopje said, without giving further details.

At the weekend, the Ombudsman's office also said it has opened a case to examine the allegations.

The scandal erupted last week after Sloboden Pecat newspaper published testimonies by parents who accused the First Skopje's Scout Squad, PSIO, a civic association that has worked in the capital for over a decade, of traumatising their children.

A total of 32 scouts, all high school students aged 16 or more, attended the camp, which was entitled "Autumn Kisses and Hugs, Sex, Scouts and Rock'n'Roll" and was held by PSIO at the end of September at the Gradovci scouting centre, near the village of Zelenikovo, outside Skopje.

Unnamed parents quoted by Sloboden Pecat on Friday alleged that their children were led to simulate sexual poses, paint their body parts on a sheet of paper and take off some of their clothes during supposed sex education games designed by the organisers.

A parent was quoted as saying that one of the games, dubbed 'traffic light', involved stripping off a piece of clothing for each wrong answer.

As a result, the parent alleged that "male children in their underwear were strolling around the entire hillside" at the camp.

Another game allegedly involved painting a body part...