The trial of the Kecmanović family continues: photographs from the massacre will be subject of today's hearing

The hearing will also be attended by the parents of the children who were killed in the massacre, and it is expected that the presentation of photographs and footage from the crime scene will revive painful memories and be extremely distressing.

As a reminder, the mass shooting at Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School in Belgrade took place on May 3, 2023, when then-13-year-old K.K. used his father’s handgun to kill nine students and a security guard, while injuring five more children and a teacher.

The Court of Appeal in Belgrade overturned the verdict against the parents of the boy responsible for the attack and returned the case for a retrial. During the repeated proceedings, K.K. testified at the previous hearing.

They were being tried for several criminal offenses connected to the mass murder. The father was initially convicted of a serious offense against public safety, while the mother was tried for illegal possession of weapons and neglect of a minor.

Under the first-instance verdict, Vladimir Kecmanović was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while Miljana Kecmanović received a sentence of three and a half years.

Following the decision to repeat the trial, Andjelko Aćimović, the father of victim Angelina, spoke publicly:

“It is very distressing for us to enter the courtroom again, and we were very surprised by the decision of the Court of Appeal to return the proceedings for a retrial. There was another possibility: that they resolve the matter themselves based on the existing evidence. I do not see what new could be expected, apart from everything already presented.”

He also commented on his expectations for the retrial:

“We expect the new judge to show more understanding toward the parents’ need to say everything they have and to help clarify this criminal act. What led to this tragedy was a complete absence of care for the child on the part of the Kecmanović family. There were many signs of his psychological condition indicating that the child needed psychological help.”

Before K.K. began testifying, the judge informed him that he had the status of an injured party, since the indictment by the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade accuses his mother and father of neglect and abuse.

Vladimir Kecmanović was arrested on the day his son carried out the massacre and has remained in custody ever since. He will again be brought to court from detention today.

Miljana Kecmanović is defending herself while at liberty, but has been banned from meeting or communicating with her son, who has been held in a specialized medical institution since May 3, 2023.