Parents of student who killed 10 people in Belgrade school sentenced to 17.6 years in prison

A court in Serbia on Monday convicted the parents of a young man who last year killed nine students and a school guard and injured six others at a school in central Belgrade.

The Supreme Court in Belgrade sentenced Vladimir Kecmanović, the boy’s father, to 14 years and six months in prison for “serious crimes against public safety” and “child neglect.” The mother, Miljana Kecmanović, was sentenced to three years in prison for “child neglect,” but was acquitted of charges of illegal possession of weapons.

The attacker, identified as Kosta Kecmanovic, was 13 years old when he committed the crime and therefore too young to face trial under Serbian law. His parents were arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with "failing to keep weapons out of their son's reach."

The massacre at the Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school in central Belgrade that occurred on May 3, 2023, shocked the Balkan country that is accustomed to crises, but where mass shootings in schools had never happened before.

The couple's lawyer, Irina Borovic, said the decision was not surprising “because public pressure was great and expectations were high.” Borovic said she will appeal the decisions.

Ninela Radicevic, who lost her daughter in that attack, said that "we are not satisfied because no one was held responsible for the killing of nine children" and the school guard.

The gunman used his father's guns to open fire on his friends and others. He entered the school and first opened fire in the hallway before going to a classroom where he continued shooting.

Primary schools in Serbia are attended by children aged 7-15.

Police said the shooter called after the shooting and calmly recounted what he had done. He has been held in a specialized facility since the shooting and testified at the trial against his parents. The proceedings were closed to the public, except for the reading of the verdicts.

Also in this case, a shooting instructor who worked at a range where the boy was training to shoot was sentenced to 15 months in prison for giving false testimony.

The school shooting was followed by another mass killing in villages outside the capital the next day. Uros Blažić, 21, picked up an automatic rifle and opened fire in several places, killing nine people and wounding 12 others. He was sentenced earlier this month to 20 years in prison.

The shooting sparked a wave of street protests and a widespread crackdown on illegal gun possession./ VOA