- A man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for murder and an attack at an elementary school.
- The defendant attacked a teacher and students with a knife, a seven-year-old child died.
- The prosecutor emphasized the seriousness of the crime and the need for a severe punishment.
- The verdict is not yet final, the defendant can appeal.
Zagreb County Court on Tuesday sentenced a 20-year-old man to a maximum of 50 years in prison for the murder of a child at school, the attempted murder of four other people and 50 crimes against children’s rights. The judgment is not final, TASR writes, according to HINA and AFP reports.
According to the prosecutor’s office in Zagreb defendant LM entered on December 20, 2024 during class to the elementary school building in the Prečko neighborhood on the outskirts of the capital with the intention of killing pupils and staff. This former pupil of the school in Preček he was fully aware that the children were too young to resist him effectively.
According to the indictment filed in July attacked the teacher and students with a knife. A seven-year-old child died, while a teacher and three children were seriously injured. “The judicial panel believes that only the most severe punishment – 50 years in prison – can ensure both special and general prevention,” said the court’s spokesman, Krešimir Devčič.
The convicted man was arrested immediately after the attack and has been in custody since then. Croatian courts rarely impose the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison. The judgment can be appealed. This unprecedented attack sparked outrage and protests in Croatia for safer schools.
