The cases of Aleksić, Petnica and Lečić: "Leave them alone to tell their story"

The cases of Aleksić, Petnica and Lečić: "Leave them alone to tell their story"

The decision of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office to reject the criminal charges filed for rape against Branislav Lecic by Danijela Steinfeld, caused a storm in the public from approval to denial.

Lawyer Jugoslav Tintor said in an interview with TV Prva that there is a presumption of innocence when it comes to any case.

"Citizens perceive the procedure as something absolute. Evidence exists as evidence, it is a matter of assessing whether the prosecution or the court can convince the court panel that what is claimed in the report or the indictment happened," Tintor pointed out.

Speaking about Lecic, he said, based on his experience, that it is not a practice for the Prosecution to dismiss the charges, and he also referred to the audio recording of the conversation between Branislav Lecic and Danijela Steinfeld, who accused him of raping her.

"Every prosecution must be given the opportunity to see other evidence, and they appreciate and assess the credibility of the claim, even when it comes to the recording (which was published)," he stated. Tintor also referred to the case of Miroslav Aleksić, saying that there was "a well-founded suspicion" that he would be deprived of his liberty.

The coordinator of the "Safe House", Vesna Stanojević, believes that the voice of the public in some cases helped the victims of abuse, but on the other hand, it created a big problem for some.

Speaking about the reporting in the cases of Aleksić, Petnica, she states that she is not "sure that this can stimulate" the victims to come forward and report violence, on the contrary.

"Is the goal to release or convict someone in advance? Let's stop labeling people for being this and that," she said, adding that the authorities should be allowed to finish their work.

"Victims rarely decide to report violence out of shame and lack of support, so they need help and support when they decide to report violence. Who will dare to report it tomorrow? Leave them alone to tell their story", Stanojevic added, emphasizing that the victims must immediately report the violence.