Employer Faces Huge Fine After Student's Death on the Job

Croatian labor authorities have launched a legal case against an employer for allegedly hiring a high school graduate who tragically died on the job. The State Inspectorate confirmed it has filed charges against the employer for engaging the student in work that violated labor laws, specifically concerning the employment of regular students outside of school holidays or without proper contracts.

The incident involves a high school senior, identified as L.M., who was killed on May 16th in Drniš while delivering a pizza. His employment came to light as illegal because the school year for final-year students had not yet concluded; their academic year officially ended six days after the tragedy on May 22nd. Under Croatian law, students can only take on casual work during school breaks and must be employed through student service centers.

The State Inspectorate conducted an inspection at the employer's premises and has submitted a proposal for charges to the competent court. The employer faces potential fines ranging from 6,630 to 13,270 euros for these violations. This case has drawn significant public attention, especially after it emerged that the suspect in the student's murder, Kristijan Aleksić, had a prior conviction for homicide and faced charges for illegal weapons possession.

Following the student's death, Aleksić fled the scene but was apprehended by police hours later. The tragedy prompted peaceful protests by citizens and high school students in Drniš and Šibenik, highlighting perceived institutional failures. The State Attorney's Office has also identified procedural shortcomings in how the Municipal State Attorney's Office in Šibenik handled a previous case involving Aleksić.