Witness fails to identify Taton attacker

A protected witness today said he could not identify a defendant as the person he saw take part in a fight that resulted in the death of a French football fan. Brice Taton was brutally beaten in Belgrade last fall, and died of his injuries. Witness fails to identify Taton attacker During the continued trial in Belgrade this Monday of a group of Partizan FK fans accused of inflicting the deadly injuries, the protected witness changed his previous statement, and said he was afraid that his identity might be revealed. However, the presiding judge proceeded to read out his original statement. The witness, who spoke from inside a booth with tinted glass and with voice distortion in order to hide his identity, said that he was taking a walk in Belgrade's Obilcev Venac area as Taton was attacked, that he saw the fight and a young man with bloodied head who ran into the Zuzus cafe. His original statement, read by the judge, said that he worked as a waiter in the cafe on September 17, 2009, at the time of the attack, that two young men dressed in black and white walked in, that he had seen one of them previously in the company of Partizan FK fans, that both "ran into the fight", and that he believe he would be able to recognize one of them, who wore a cap. But one of the lawyers for the 15 defendants on trial in the case says that the information contained in the first statement of the protected witness revealed his identity. Momcilo Bulatovic, who defended some Hague indictees, also said that the Serbian judiciary should adopt the Hague principle under which "everyone in the courtroom knows who the protected witness is", but that the person is at the same time "protected from the public". In this way, there is greater sense of responsibility among those who know the identity of a witness, said Bulatovic, with the circle of possible sources of leaked information being small. But Judge Mirjana Ilic said that as she did not read out the name and basic information about the witness, she did not reveal his identity. The Taton family lawyer Slobodan Ruzic agreed with this, saying that even though it was revealed that the person worked at the cafe, he was certain that many others worked in the same establishment. "You will agree with me, I don't know what reason this witness would have to be afraid," said Ruzic. The trial will resume tomorrow with video-link testimonies from two French nationals who were in Belgrade together with the victim.

Witness fails to identify Taton attacker

During the continued trial in Belgrade this Monday of a group of Partizan FK fans accused of inflicting the deadly injuries, the protected witness changed his previous statement, and said he was afraid that his identity might be revealed.

However, the presiding judge proceeded to read out his original statement.

The witness, who spoke from inside a booth with tinted glass and with voice distortion in order to hide his identity, said that he was taking a walk in Belgrade's Obilćev Venac area as Taton was attacked, that he saw the fight and a young man with bloodied head who ran into the Zuzus cafe.

His original statement, read by the judge, said that he worked as a waiter in the cafe on September 17, 2009, at the time of the attack, that two young men dressed in black and white walked in, that he had seen one of them previously in the company of Partizan FK fans, that both "ran into the fight", and that he believe he would be able to recognize one of them, who wore a cap.

But one of the lawyers for the 15 defendants on trial in the case says that the information contained in the first statement of the protected witness revealed his identity.

Momčilo Bulatović, who defended some Hague indictees, also said that the Serbian judiciary should adopt the Hague principle under which "everyone in the courtroom knows who the protected witness is", but that the person is at the same time "protected from the public".

In this way, there is greater sense of responsibility among those who know the identity of a witness, said Bulatović, with the circle of possible sources of leaked information being small.

But Judge Mirjana Ilić said that as she did not read out the name and basic information about the witness, she did not reveal his identity.

The Taton family lawyer Slobodan Ružić agreed with this, saying that even though it was revealed that the person worked at the cafe, he was certain that many others worked in the same establishment.

"You will agree with me, I don't know what reason this witness would have to be afraid," said Ružić.

The trial will resume tomorrow with video-link testimonies from two French nationals who were in Belgrade together with the victim.