"Ribnikar": The court ordered compensation for the victims' families

High Court in Belgrade announced on Wednesday (March 19) that the verdict was passed, according to which the family of the minor KK is obliged to pay the families of the murdered children and guards at the school "Vladislav Rybnikar"payments of sums from eight to 13 million dinars individually, that is, for the fear suffered from 500.000 to 1,75 million dinars.

That court stated on its website that, according to the verdict handed down on December 30, 2024, minor KK and his parents Miljana and Vladimir Kecamnović, as well as the Vladislav Ribnikar school, are obliged to do so.

According to the verdict, the defendants are also obliged to reimburse the plaintiffs jointly and severally for the costs of the proceedings with statutory default interest starting from the date of the conditions for enforcement, within 15 days from the date of receipt of the transcript of the verdict, under threat of enforcement.

In the explanation of the verdict, it is stated, among other things, that the defendant, minor KK, is "responsible for the damage that the plaintiffs suffered" bearing in mind, as indicated, "that at the time of undertaking the harmful actions, he was capable of reasoning".

His parents, according to the verdict, are responsible, "given that during the proceedings it was established that the damage was caused by the bad upbringing of the minor, bad examples and bad habits they gave him."

What does the school have to pay?

When it comes to the existence of responsibility on the part of the "Vladislav Ribnikar" school for non-material damage, the court is of the opinion that in this particular case such responsibility exists, the statement says.

It was indicated that "during the evidentiary proceedings, it was established that in the period preceding the event of May 3, 2023, there were omissions in the actions of employees, which by their legal nature represent a harmful act of inaction."

The statement says that it "consists in not taking those actions that the standard of due professional care in the specific case required".

It was found that the school is also liable based on the responsibility of a legal entity for the damage caused by its body and in accordance with the provision related to the illegal organization of students on duty, which was attributed to the responsibility of the then director, as a different body, it is stated.

An appeal against this verdict is allowed to the Court of Appeal in Belgrade within 15 days from the day of its receipt.

On May 3, 2023, at the "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School in the center of Belgrade, a minor KK killed nine students and a guard and wounded five more students and a history teacher, firing a pistol.