Belgrade Prosecutor's Office Initiates Proceedings Against Mother of School Mass Shooter

(Patria) - The First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade has initiated proceedings against the mother of a 13-year-old student who committed a mass murder on May 3rd at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" elementary school, with the intention of determining whether there are elements of the criminal offense of neglect and abuse of a minor.

On May 3rd, a student of that school, Kosta K., killed eight classmates and a security guard with shots from his father's pistol, and wounded a teacher and six other students, one of whom later died from a gunshot wound to the head.

The Prosecutor's Office has requested the Belgrade Police Administration to collect necessary information, ordering that the suspect mother M.K. be questioned, and that the counselor and psychologist of the "Vladislav Ribnikar" school be interviewed, and that all other measures and procedures be taken to fully establish the facts, it was announced today on the website of the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office.

The City Center for Social Work has been ordered to conduct a "diagnostic assessment of the functioning of the family of minor Kosta K. and to submit a report to the prosecutor's office about it.".

Related text: 20 DAYS AFTER THE TRAGEDY Students of Belgrade school 'Vladislav Ribnikar' back in classrooms

It was also requested to determine whether the family was "previously registered" with the social work center.

The father of student Kosta K. was arrested after the crime at the school, and after being questioned at the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office, he was ordered into custody for up to 30 days.

The father is accused of taking his son Kosta K. to a shooting range and of not adequately securing the weapons and ammunition with which his son committed the crime.

Classes at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" school began today based on the decision of the Ministry of Education, despite requests from parents to conclude the school year on May 3rd, when the crime, unprecedented in modern Serbian history, was committed, due to the extreme trauma that the children experienced and are experiencing in the days after the shooting and murder at the school.