Celje - The wife of Prime Minister Janez Janša, Urška Bačovnik Janša, has received a death threat targeting her and the couple's children. The letter was sent to the hospital in Celje where she works as a doctor, and has been handed over to police, Večer newspaper reported.

Celje police said they had been informed about an anonymous threat and had launched an investigation. "We are vigilant and react carefully to threats against the most senior representatives of the state," the police said.

The prime minister and his family enjoy police protection by default according to regulations on the protection of senior state officials.

The deputy group of the senior coalition Democrats (SDS) strongly condemned all types of violence and threats in response to the news. The group said that children aged only 9 and 7 should never be the targets of any kind of violence or threats.

It also warned that there was only one step from threats to actions and urged the law-enforcement to take serious action in such cases no matter who is the target.

The Celje police station processed eight cases involving threats to the most senior representatives of the state last year. In five cases criminal charges were filed against five perpetrators, while in two cases, in which the victims did not request prosecution, the police forwarded reports to the Celje district state prosecutor's office. In one case, the investigation is still under way.