Proceedings in the Danka Ilić case suspended; Niš Court of Appeal issues decision

The second-instance court rejected as unfounded the appeal filed by the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Zaječar against the lower court's decision, which found that there were no grounds for the charges and suspended proceedings against R.D. for the criminal offences of failing to report a crime and its perpetrator, in conjunction with aiding an offender after the commission of a criminal offence, the court told Tanjug.

The Higher Court in Negotin had previously confirmed the indictment against him and S.J., who are charged with aggravated murder. At the same time, it rejected the charges and suspended the criminal proceedings against R.D., the father of D.D., who had been suspected of helping his son conceal the girl's body.

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Zaječar appealed that decision, and the matter was then decided by the Niš Court of Appeal.

Before this, the Niš Court of Appeal had confirmed the part of the indictment relating to D.D. and S.J., while returning the part concerning R.D. for further consideration.

Under the indictment, which was filed after a supplementary investigation, the two men are charged with the criminal offence of aggravated murder committed jointly.

The supplementary investigation was conducted following an order from the Niš Court of Appeal after it twice returned the decision on confirming the indictment to the Higher Court in Zaječar. The second time, it ordered that the decision be made by a completely new judicial panel, specifically at the Higher Court in Negotin.

In the indictment, the prosecution proposed that the court sentence D.D. and S.J. to life imprisonment.

D.D. and S.J. are suspected of having, on March 26 in Banjsko Polje near Bor, first struck the two-year-old girl with a vehicle belonging to the public utility company "Vodovod," where they were employed, and then placed her in the vehicle.

They are suspected of having disposed of the girl's body at a landfill, from where it was later moved.

The girl's body has never been found.

R.D. is suspected of helping his son D.D. move the girl's body.

D.D.'s biological brother died on April 7, 2024, while in police custody at the Bor Police Department.