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Chief of Serbian drug rehab centre fired after televised beating
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By The Associated Press
BELGRADE, Serbia - A Serbian Orthodox priest was removed as head of a church-backed drug rehabilitation centre Wednesday, after a video broadcast on national television showed him beating a patient with a shovel.
Bishop Artemije said he removed Branislav Peranovic from his job leading the Crna Reka centre in southern Serbia.
The bishop said the centre would be closed if beatings recur, but he stopped short of shutting it down immediately as Serbian Orthodox Church elders had demanded.
Serbians were shocked by a video posted last week on weekly Vreme's website showing a man beating and kicking a patient who was being held down at the rehab centre located on an isolated land plot owned by the Crna Reka monastery.
A second video broadcast Tuesday by Serbia's B92 television apparently shows Peranovic beating a patient with a shovel.
Earlier media reports have described patients living in poor conditions and completely isolated from the outside world.
Crna Reka priests have said the beatings are a necessary part of the therapy and are carried out with the consent of patients' parents.
The Serbian Orthodox Church has not reacted to the videos, but a Holy Synod over the weekend ordered Artemije to shut down the centre altogether.
However, Artemije - who insisted he was unaware of the beatings before seeing the video - said the centre would remain open at the parents' request, but that Peranovic would face punishment.
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By The Associated Press
BELGRADE, Serbia - A Serbian Orthodox priest was removed as head of a church-backed drug rehabilitation centre Wednesday, after a video broadcast on national television showed him beating a patient with a shovel.
Bishop Artemije said he removed Branislav Peranovic from his job leading the Crna Reka centre in southern Serbia.
The bishop said the centre would be closed if beatings recur, but he stopped short of shutting it down immediately as Serbian Orthodox Church elders had demanded.
Serbians were shocked by a video posted last week on weekly Vreme's website showing a man beating and kicking a patient who was being held down at the rehab centre located on an isolated land plot owned by the Crna Reka monastery.
A second video broadcast Tuesday by Serbia's B92 television apparently shows Peranovic beating a patient with a shovel.
Earlier media reports have described patients living in poor conditions and completely isolated from the outside world.
Crna Reka priests have said the beatings are a necessary part of the therapy and are carried out with the consent of patients' parents.
The Serbian Orthodox Church has not reacted to the videos, but a Holy Synod over the weekend ordered Artemije to shut down the centre altogether.
However, Artemije - who insisted he was unaware of the beatings before seeing the video - said the centre would remain open at the parents' request, but that Peranovic would face punishment.
