Three years have passed since the mass murder in the villages Dubona i Little Nut when nine young people died and 12 were wounded.
Uroš Blažić, who was 20 years old at the time, armed with an automatic rifle and a pistol, first shot at a group of young people in Mali Orašje, and then drove to neighboring Dubona.
Nikola Milić (14), Aleksandar Milovanović (17), Marko Mitrović (17), Kristina (18) and Milan Panić (22), Lazar Milovanović (19), Nemanja Stevanović (21), Dalibor Todorović (24) and Petar Mitrović (25) were killed.
Eight of them died during or immediately after the shooting, while the ninth victim died later in the hospital as a result of serious injuries. A total of 12 people were wounded.
The crime happened only a day after mass murder in the "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School in Belgrade.
After the shooting, Blažić left the vehicle, then kidnapped the taxi driver and the female passenger at gunpoint, and forced him to drive to the village of Vinjište near Kragujevac, where he hid on his uncle's property. Blažić was there and arrested early in the morning on May 5 after an extensive police search.
The investigation revealed details that caused violent reactions from the public, because during the search of the house where the Blažić family lived, the police found a huge amount of illegal weapons, ammunition and mine-explosive devices, which is why the murderer's father, Radiša Blažić, was also arrested.
Photo: Ana Paunković/FoNetMalo Orašje / Photo: Ana Paunković/FoNet
Given that Uroš Blažić was less than 21 years old at the time of the mass murder, according to the Criminal Code, life imprisonment cannot be imposed, because the maximum sentence for those under the age of 21 for such a crime is limited to 20 years in prison.
In the past three years, the families of the victims have organized several meetings, blockades and appeals, demanding changes in the law, harsher punishments and a faster reaction of the judiciary. They emphasized that they are outraged by the fact that the perpetrator can go free in middle age.
Courtroom incidents
The court proceedings proved to be extremely complex, and were accompanied by incidents.
The indictment of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Smederevo charged Uroš Blažić with aggravated murder, illegal production, possession, carrying and trafficking of weapons and explosive substances, kidnapping and unauthorized use of someone else's vehicle. His father, Radiša Blažić, was charged with illegal possession of weapons and endangerment.
The trial officially began in May 2024 before the High Court in Smederevo, but already during the first appearance of the accused in the courtroom, an incident occurred because revolted members of the victims' families attacked the accused.
Photo: Tanjug/Veran MatićMural for the victims in Dubona
Due to the inability to ensure safe conditions for the further course of the trial, the Supreme Court made a decision to move the trial to the building of the Special Court in Belgrade, although the case was still formally handled by the High Court in Smederevo. During the trial in Belgrade, Uroš Blažić admitted to committing the crime, but tried to remove responsibility from his father regarding the origin of the weapon.
During this process, numerous witnesses, survivors, and experts were heard. The trial took place with strong security measures and the constant presence of the victims' families who followed each hearing.
At the end of December 2024, Uroš Blažić was sentenced by a first-instance verdict to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for murdering nine and injuring 12 people, for illegal possession and carrying of weapons for 10 years, kidnapping for 10 years and unauthorized use of someone else's vehicle for three years, but he was sentenced to a single sentence of 20 years.
His father, Radiša Blažić, was also sentenced to 20 years in prison for unauthorized possession of weapons and providing weapons for massacre.
A session was scheduled for May 8, 2025 at the Court of Appeal in Belgrade to decide on appeals against the first-instance verdict against Uroš and Radiša Blažić. The Court of Appeal in Belgrade rejected as unfounded the appeals of the defendants' defense attorneys and confirmed the first-instance verdict against both defendants.
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