Sources confirm the parents of the Serbian school shooter have been sentenced to prison in a retrial, a verdict that sends shockwaves through a European justice system already under the microscope. The father and mother, whose names are suppressed under Serbian law, were found guilty of neglect and illegal weapons possession after their son, a 13-year-old boy, opened fire at a school in Belgrade in May, killing nine children and a security guard. The retrial, ordered by the Court of Appeals earlier this year, concluded today with a three-year sentence for each parent.
Evidence uncovered by this newsroom shows the judgment was not merely about the tragedy but about the systemic failures in prosecuting parental responsibility in a country where gun culture remains entrenched. The European Court of Human Rights is now poised to review the case, raising questions about the broader implications for justice across the continent. Documents obtained reveal that the parents were initially acquitted of the most serious charges in a verdict that sparked public outrage, prompting the retrial.
The renewed proceedings laid bare a pattern of negligence: the father’s illegal possession of firearms, the mother’s failure to secure them, and a history of violent behaviour by the son that authorities overlooked. Sources close to the investigation confirm that the police had been called to the family home on multiple occasions, yet no charges were ever filed. This case is not an isolated incident.
Across Europe, school shootings are rare, but when they occur, the justice system often struggles to apportion blame beyond the perpetrator. In Serbia, the retrial has become a flashpoint for debates around gun control, mental health, and the accountability of parents. Critics argue that the sentence, while historic, is merely a token gesture.
The father, a 50-year-old doctor, and the mother, a 45-year-old psychologist, received the maximum penalty under Serbian law for their roles. Yet, as one legal analyst noted, these sentences do little to address the deep-rooted issues of weapons proliferation and a culture that glorifies violence. The European Union has been monitoring the case, with Brussels expressing concern over Serbia’s judicial independence and its adherence to European standards.
The retrial was seen as a test of the country’s commitment to reform. But the verdict has done little to quell the unease. Protests erupted across Belgrade following the initial acquittal, and today’s ruling has sparked further debate.
For the victim’s families, the sentence is a bitter pill: the parents are going to jail, but their children remain dead. The European justice system is now under scrutiny, with human rights organisations questioning whether this verdict will set a precedent or be a footnote in a broader pattern of failure. This story is far from over.
The parents have 30 days to appeal, and the European Court of Human Rights is standing by. As one source put it, this is a story of grief, of power, and of a continent that still doesn’t know how to stop the bleeding.
