With the laying of flowers and the lighting of candles in front of the Belgrade school “Vladislav Ribnikar” this morning, the delivery of mail to the victims of the mass murder began, on the occasion of the three-year anniversary of the crime in which nine students and a security guard died.
With a commemorative program in the center of Belgrade, May 3 and 4 are officially marked in Serbia as Days of Remembrance for the victims in “Ribnikar”, Dubona and Mali Orašje.
The commemoration began at 8:40 a.m., at the time when, on May 3, 2023, a then thirteen-year-old student of KK opened fire in the school. In addition to the families and friends of the victims, citizens also pay their respects to the victims by writing in the Book of Remembrance, which will be available until 8:00 p.m. Kralja Milutin Street was closed to traffic and turned into a memorial area.
Students, together with high school students and citizens, gathered in large numbers in front of the Faculty of Law in Belgrade and started walking towards the “Vladislav Ribnikar” Elementary School, in order to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy on May 3, 2023.
At 11:52 a.m., those gathered on Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra blocked traffic with a sixteen-minute silence, during which they paid their respects to the victims of the fall of the canopy.
Then the column headed towards Vladislav Rybnikar Elementary School, where they paid tribute to the victims.
The daily program includes workshops on the Little Tašmajdan from 12:00 to 17:00, while the “Space of Remembrance” is set up on the Big Tašmajdan. A memorial service for the victims will be held at 4:30 p.m. in St. Mark’s Church, followed by the final part of the commemorative gathering at 5:30 p.m.
Students Mara Andjelković, Bojana Asović, Angelina Aćimović, Ana Božović, Adriana Dukić, Ema Kobiljski, Katarina Martinović, Sofija Negić, Andrija Čikić and security guard Dragan Vlahović were killed. Five more students and a history teacher were wounded in the attack.
The perpetrator of the crime, due to his age at the time of the attack, according to the law, cannot be held criminally responsible, and court proceedings are currently underway against his parents.
Vladimir Kecmanović was sentenced in the first instance to 14 and a half years in prison for a serious offense against general security, while Miljana’s mother was sentenced to three years in prison.
The commemoration continues tomorrow, in memory of the victims of mass murder in the villages near Mladenovac and Smederevo.
The Ministry of Education has recommended that schools adjust their lessons during the coming week and focus on the themes of togetherness and empathy within the “Week of Remembrance”.
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