Kazneno djelo nesavjesnog liječenja ulazi u red medicinskih kaznenih djela stricto sensu. Objekt zaštite kod ovog kaznenog djela jest zdravlje pacijenata koje se štiti od postupaka zdravstvenih radnika koji nisu učinjeni lege artis. Nestručno i nesavjesno postupanje zdravstvenih radnika može imati dalekosežne posljedice, uključujući i smrt. Hrvatska sudska praksa pokazuje da joj takvi predmeti nisu nepoznati. Ipak, hrvatska kaznenopravna literatura je do sada uglavnom zaobilazila ovo vrlo osjetljivo područje, pa je izostala sustavnija rasprava o dometima i granicama kaznene odgovornosti za nesavjesno liječenje. Rješavajući konkretne predmete sudska praksa se može naći u dvojbi oko pitanja pod kojim uvjetima se ponašanje zdravstvenog radnika ima ocijeniti kao nesavjesno, odnosno gdje prestaje odgovornost za nehaj a započinje objektivna odgovornost kod ovog kaznenog djela. Ovaj je rad posvećen upravo toj problematici. Nakon izlaganja općih obilježja ovog kaznenog djela, autori nastoje uspostaviti mjerila za procjenu (ne)postojanja nehajne odgovornosti za nesavjesno liječenje. Svoje teze potom provjeravaju na jednom vrlo složenom predmetu iz novije hrvatske prakse.

This paper discusses the issue of negligent rape and liability for unreasonable belief in the victim`s consent in the context of Croatian criminal law. Modern rape law presents many challenges to both lawmakers and judges, with criminalizing negligence being only one of those challenges. This became more interesting in Croatia after amendments to the Criminal Code in 2011 (in effect since 2013), that criminalized unreasonable mistake of facts in the crime of rape. Croatian rape law has undergone significant changes related to these amendments. However, this paper focuses only on the aspect of unreasonable mistake of consent, this being both the most controversial and of great practical importance. The first section describes the elements of rape according to the Croatian Criminal Code along with an interpretation of those elements in the jurisprudence of the Croatian Supreme Court. Special attention is placed on the problem of mens rea and (un)reasonable belief in consent. The discussion also identifies the reasons for reform and the impact of the Sexual Offences Act of England and Wales (2003), which served as a model for Croatian legislators. The second section analyzes the results of research conducted by Croatian judges on the relevant status of the mistake of facts defense, as well as the importance of the victim`s resistance in terms of achieving a conviction, with special regard to the rate of rape convictions in Croatian law. The third section reviews comparative regional laws (Slovenia, Serbia, and Montenegro) with the goal of positioning the new Croatian rape law in a regional context. The last section discusses the necessity of criminalization of the negligent form of rape from the perspective of trends and standards created in Croatian theory and jurisprudence in the years prior to this amendment of the law.

A comparative overview of the criminalisation of medical errors in Europe shows that this in principle is approached in two ways. Under the first approach, such errors are incriminated through the general regime for criminal offenses, such as bodily injury or causing death by negligence. The second approach, adopted in a smaller number of countries, prescribes it as a separate criminal offense (as medical malpractice). Croatian law is a typical example of the second model, which has given rise to discussions in Croatian scholarly circles about the abandonment of such a model. The author analyses the Croatian legislative solution and its realisation in judicial practice, and based on this analysis, through the presentation of noteworthy case law, provides conclusions on whether or not the Croatian legislative solution indeed provides a higher degree of protection of the health of patients and a higher level of legal certainty.

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The paper provides a concise presentation of the main features of Croatian substantive criminal law as an instrument of social protection. The author describes the most important determinants of the general and special part of the Croatian Criminal Code, analyses the most important case law examples, points out selected theoretical controversies and positions of primarily Croatian but occasionally foreign theorists, and on such a basis expresses his opinions on the observed problems. On this foundation, the author draws a conclusion about how and to what extent Croatian criminal substantive law fulfils its social role in the context of existing social circumstances and needs.