Serbian Court Convicts The Parents Of A Teenage Boy Who Shot Dead 10 People In A School In Belgrade

A court in Serbia on Monday convicted the parents of a teenage boy who last year shot dead nine pupils and a school guard and wounded six more people in a school in central Belgrade.

The Higher Court in Belgrade sentenced Vladimir Kecmanovic, father of the boy , to 14 years and six months in prison for "grave acts against public safety" and for child neglect. The mother, Miljana Kecmanovic was sentenced to three years in prison for child neglect but was acquitted on charges of illegal possession of weapons.

The shooter, identified as Kosta Kecmanovic, was 13 years old when he committed the crime and therefore too young to face a trial, according to Serbian law. His parents were detained soon after the shooting and charged for failing to keep the weapons out of reach of their son.

The massacre at the Vladislav Ribnikar primary school in central Belgrade on May 3, 2023 , shocked the Balkan nation which was used to crises but where mass school shootings had never happened before.

The couple's lawyer, Irina Borovic, said the verdict came as no surprise "because public pressure was enormous and the expectations were huge." Borovic said she will appeal the verdicts.