A 14-year-old boy who killed 9 kids and a safety guard in a mass capturing at a faculty within the Serbian capital, Belgrade, final yr has given proof at his mother and father’ trial behind closed doorways.
The boy, who has been held in a psychiatric establishment for the reason that Might 2023 assault, can’t be placed on trial as a result of he’s under the age of legal accountability.
His mother and father went on trial earlier this yr, accused of a “severe act towards basic security” for failing to safe the weapons and ammunition correctly. They deny the costs.
Recognized solely as KK, the boy was delivered to the court docket by a particular escort, leaving the psychiatric hospital for the primary time for the reason that assault.
He was questioned as a witness, by the decide, the prosecutor and defence legal professionals for the familes of the lifeless and wounded. He additionally answered questions from the mom of a murdered youngster.
Mother and father of the murdered kids attended the listening to within the hope of shedding mild on the motive for the boy’s mass capturing at Vladislav Ribnikar main faculty.
KK was 13 when he took a handgun to the college and opened fireplace on different kids. Eight of the 9 kids he murdered had been women.
Serbia was plunged into additional grief lower than 48 hours later, when one other eight folks had been shot lifeless by a 21-year-old man in a village exterior the capital.
Public prosecutors warned Serbian media earlier than Tuesday’s listening to to not leak any particulars of the boy’s testimony contained in the particular courtroom at Belgrade’s Excessive Courtroom. Nevertheless, lots of the mother and father who had been inside court docket left afterwards in tears.
“Right this moment was some of the harrowing trials I’ve witnessed in my profession,” stated Ognen Bozovic, a lawyer representing the households of the murdered kids.
He advised reporters exterior the court docket that many of the questions the boy was requested had been aimed toward figuring out the motive behind the capturing. “My opinion is that his testimony right now will assist result in convictions,” he stated.
KK’s father, Vladimir Kecmanovic, is being held in custody and can also be accused of instructing the boy easy methods to shoot whereas failing to protect the weapons at residence. His mom stays free on bail.
The household’s lawyer advised reporters afterwards that the boy had lived a traditional life earlier than the capturing and no court docket course of would be capable of set up what had led to his assault.
