The parents of a teenage boy who carried out a devastating school shooting in Serbia last year have been sentenced to prison. The attack, which took place in May 2023 at Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School in Belgrade, claimed the lives of nine children and a security guard, shocking the nation.
The boy’s father, Vladimir Kecmanović, was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in prison by a high court in Belgrade on Monday, while his mother, Miljana Kecmanović, received a three-year sentence. Additionally, Nemanja Marinković, a shooting instructor from the Partizan shooting club who had taught the boy how to use firearms, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison.
Legal Responsibility and Parental Negligence
The 13-year-old perpetrator, identified only as KK due to his age, has been held in a psychiatric institution since the attack. Under Serbian law, he cannot be tried as he is below the age of criminal responsibility. However, his parents were held accountable for their failure to secure the firearms and ammunition used in the attack.
Vladimir Kecmanović was found guilty of endangering public safety by teaching his son to shoot and failing to properly secure his gun. He was also convicted of neglecting a minor. Miljana Kecmanović was convicted of neglecting a minor but acquitted of charges related to the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition. Both parents denied the allegations, and their trial was conducted behind closed doors.
Courtroom Testimony and Public Outcry
During the trial, KK was brought from the psychiatric hospital to testify as a witness, marking his first appearance outside the facility since the attack. He was questioned by the judge, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and representatives of the victims’ families, including the mother of one of the murdered children.
Parents of the victims attended the hearings, seeking answers about the motive behind the boy’s actions. A lawyer representing the families described the trial as “one of the most harrowing” of his career.
National Tragedy and Aftermath
The school shooting, in which eight of the nine children killed were girls, was one of the worst in Serbia’s history and left the nation reeling. Just two days later, another tragedy struck when a 21-year-old man killed eight people in a village near the capital, compounding the grief.
Following the trial, the family’s lawyer stated that the boy had led a seemingly normal life prior to the attack and suggested that no court proceedings could fully explain what led to his actions. The case has reignited debates about gun control, mental health, and parental responsibility in Serbia, a country with a high prevalence of firearms due to its turbulent history.
