A Belgrade court has sentenced the parents of a 14-year-old school shooter to prison for negligence in a case that has gripped the nation. The retrial, which concluded on Thursday, saw the father and mother each handed 12-year terms for failing to prevent their son from carrying out a massacre at his school in May 2023. The shooting left nine children and a security guard dead, and seven others injured.
Sources close to the investigation confirm that the parents, identified as Branko and Milica K., had ignored multiple warning signs. The court heard evidence that the teenager had been withdrawing from social activities, had a fascination with violence, and had been accessing extremist content online. A cache of weapons was found in the family home, including the handgun used in the attack.
The landmark verdict marks a significant shift in Serbian jurisprudence, which has traditionally focused punitive measures on the perpetrator. 'This ruling sends a clear message that parents cannot abdicate their responsibility,' said legal analyst Dr. Jelena Markovic. 'It is a recognition of the role that guardians play in shaping their children's actions.'
The parents were initially acquitted in a lower court, but the prosecution successfully appealed, citing procedural errors. The retrial uncovered documents that showed the father had purchased the weapon legally but failed to secure it properly. The mother was found to have dismissed concerns raised by school officials about her son's behaviour.
Critics argue that the decision sets a dangerous precedent. 'We are criminalising parental failure in a way that could have unintended consequences,' warned civil rights activist Vladimir Petrovic. 'But the public mood is firmly behind the court, given the scale of the tragedy.'
The case has been closely watched across Europe as countries grapple with how to address youth violence and digital radicalisation. Serbia, which has relatively lax gun laws, has come under pressure to tighten regulations. The government has announced a review of legislation, but no concrete measures have been implemented.
The teenage shooter, who was too young to be tried as an adult, was sentenced to a juvenile correctional facility. The maximum term for minors at the time of the crime is five years, meaning he could be released as early as 2028.
As the parents were led away in handcuffs, outside the courthouse a small crowd erupted in applause. 'Justice has been served,' said one onlooker, whose child was in the school at the time but physically unharmed. 'They should have known. They failed all of us.'
