A Serbian court has sentenced the parents of a 13-year-old who killed nine children and a guard in a Belgrade school shooting in May 2023 to prison terms for neglect. The father, Vladimir Kecmanović, received 14 years and six months; the mother, Miljana Kecmanović, was given three years. The boy himself remains in a psychiatric institution due to his age.
The case has prompted a review of school security protocols in the United Kingdom, where officials are assessing vulnerability to similar attacks. The UK Education Secretary stated that while no imminent threat is perceived, lessons from Serbia’s tragedy are being integrated into domestic safety guidelines. The sentences in Serbia reflect a broader legal shift towards parental accountability in juvenile crimes, a precedent that UK policymakers are monitoring closely.
