Prosecutors issue new statement on incident involving Aleksandar Šapić

According to the Prosecutor's Office, during the four hours Šapić spent at the police station, prosecutors had access to information obtained by police officers from the Emergency Centre indicating minor rather than serious bodily injuries.

The information available at the time also did not indicate that a weapon or other object had been used in a manner that would warrant prosecution initiated by the authorities.

For these reasons, Šapić was not placed in police custody.

The Prosecutor's Office stressed that its decision would have been different had it received information at the time indicating serious bodily injuries.

The injured woman underwent a medical examination the following day, at around noon, two hours before a scheduled protest outside the Prosecutor's Office. The findings from that examination were therefore unavailable when the initial decision was made.

Prosecutors have since obtained the relevant medical records and commissioned a forensic assessment of the injuries.

Two additional witnesses remain to be questioned, along with another injured party, identified as I. M., who will be interviewed as a witness.

A decision on further proceedings will be made in accordance with the law once these steps have been completed.

The Prosecutor's Office emphasised that it always provides the public with accurate information based on the facts available at the time of its statements.

It also rejected any suggestion that detention decisions were influenced by external pressure.

"The Prosecutor's Office has never ordered detention under any form of pressure and will not do so in the future. Decisions will be made exclusively on the basis of the law and available evidence," the statement said.

The office added that prosecutors' work is subject to legal oversight and that anyone who believes the law has been violated has the right to file a complaint.