The Novi Sad-based civic movement “Bravo” has leveled severe accusations against Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), directly linking the brutal beating of a 15-year-old boy to a top-down “institutional promotion and pardoning of violence.”
The political backlash follows a violent incident in a Novi Sad park on Wednesday night, which has reignited intense public anxieties regarding child safety and state accountability.
The Attack: Ambushed in a Public Park
The incident occurred on Wednesday around 11:00 PM when a group of masked individuals armed with wooden clubs ambushed a gathering of teenagers in a local park.
As the boys scattered in panic, a 15-year-old tripped and fell to the ground. The attackers cornered him, delivering a severe beating focused primarily on his head and face. The teenager sustained severe head and facial fractures and was rushed to the Children’s Hospital, where he remains hospitalized.
Police Response and Arrests
Following a swift public outcry, the Novi Sad police department apprehended two suspects: P.J. (22) and O.M. (21). The suspects have been placed under a 48-hour police detention order and face criminal charges for causing grievous and light bodily harm before the Higher Public Prosecutor in Novi Sad.
The Accusations: State-Sponsored Impunity
The Bravo Movement issued a blistering statement demanding that prosecutors immediately elevate the charges from bodily harm to attempted murder committed in co-perpetration.
The group firmly stated that the physical attackers are merely the symptom of a deeply criminalized societal atmosphere fostered by the state:
- Pardoning Thugs: Bravo reminded the public that President Vučić recently issued official presidential pardons to state-aligned thugs who broke the jaw of a female student named Ana during civic demonstrations, later praising them on national television as “heroes.”
- The SNS-Criminal Nexus: The movement charged that the “open criminalization of society by the SNS and their direct collusion with criminal syndicates” has created an ecosystem where daily street violence is a logical, unpunished consequence.
- Silencing Local Government: Bravo slammed the Novi Sad City Assembly for systematically blocking and voting down independent proposals aimed at discussing the city’s sharp rise in street violence and reviewing police handling of student protests.
“This horrific crime has shaken Novi Sad to its core. When the President of the Republic pardons violent criminals who break students’ jaws, he sends a clear message of absolute impunity. The ruling party has turned street violence into an allowed norm.”
— Official Statement by the Bravo Civic Movement
The movement demanded complete, transparent, and daily updates from the police regarding the ongoing investigation to ensure that any broader political or criminal connections behind the masked attackers are not swept under the rug.
