Student groups in Novi Sad have reported that police allegedly used excessive force during protests near Banovina last night, resulting in injuries to three teenagers aged 16, 17, and 18.
The report follows examinations at the Children’s Hospital and the Emergency Center, confirming the injuries.
“The oldest of the three sustained the most severe injuries, including a blow to the head from a shield, multiple baton strikes to the back, and a dislocated knee caused by kicking — all while protecting a young woman holding a child, who was not participating in the protest,” stated the Novi Sad student groups.
According to the same sources:
- A police officer allegedly struck a young mother with a baton to the head, causing her to lose consciousness, while a teen tried to shield her.
- The 17-year-old girl sustained a severe injury to her left shoulder from a shield blow.
- The 16-year-old boy received multiple baton strikes to the back while protecting another woman.
Among the injured is Vukašin Đinović, a student at Novi Sad’s Faculty of Science, who told N1 he was hit in the head with a police shield, resulting in a nosebleed.
Reports also indicate that police used pepper spray. Videos circulated on official student profiles show incidents in which police and gendarmes allegedly struck civilians, mostly women, without apparent provocation. In one clip shared by medical faculty students, a masked police officer hits a woman in the head, pulls her hair, and pushes another nearby.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs responded last night, stating that officers “act strictly in accordance with the law and their authority, with the sole purpose of maintaining public order, peace, and the safety of all citizens.”
Authorities have promised further updates as the situation develops.
