Anniversary of the massacre at Belgrade's "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School, all-day program "Awakening" organized

(Patria) - A year has passed since a student of Belgrade's "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School, K. K. (13), killed nine students, his classmates, and a security guard at the school.

The anniversary of the mass murder in Belgrade is being marked with an all-day program called "Awakening," which includes a series of discussions on the causes that led to such a crime. A commemoration for the victims of the mass murder began on Friday morning at Kralja Milutina Street 10, when the families of the murdered, relatives, and friends laid flowers and lit candles.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also laid flowers.

"Exactly one year ago, the last school morning dawned for our nine angels and the man who guarded them and cared for them like a father. A year has passed since the unprecedented tragedy that left an indelible scar on the soul of the entire country, but the pain, disbelief, and immense sadness have not passed. Behind the senseless act that extinguished lives, futures, and dreams of Ana, Sofija, Mara, Andrija, Bojana, Angelina, Ema, Katarina, Adriana, and their Uncle Dragan in an instant, a void was left, but also a terrible warning to the entire society to protect our children with all our might from any evil, danger, and threat," Vučić stated on the occasion of the anniversary.

Expressing sincere and deepest condolences to the families of the murdered, he added that their dreams and all that they could have become oblige them to do so, and that they will do everything to rise as a country after "this horror that has befallen us".

A trial is underway at the Higher Court in Belgrade against the parents of the boy who killed the students and the school guard.

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade is seeking a prison sentence of 12 years for the boy's father, Vladimir Kecmanović, and 2.5 years for the mother, Miljana Kecmanović. For the owner and instructor at the shooting range where the boy practiced handling weapons, they are seeking three years in prison each.

The father, Vladimir Kecmanović, is charged with the criminal offense of grave acts against public safety, as he trained his 13-year-old son to handle air and firearms and took him to a shooting range, which is not appropriate for the boy's age, and also failed to store the weapons securely as required by law.

Two civil lawsuits are also being conducted against the father and mother based on claims from the families of the murdered for compensation for non-material damages due to the death of a loved one.

No criminal proceedings are being conducted against the minor K.K. because he was 13 years old at the time he committed the mass murder. Criminal prosecution in Serbia is not possible for individuals under 14 years of age.