Father of Dubona Shooting Victims: Institutions Have Not Taken Responsibility for Failures

It has been three agonizing years since the horrific events in Dubona and Malo Orašje, where eight young lives were brutally extinguished and twelve others were wounded. For Saša Panić, the pain is still raw, the loss of his son and daughter a wound that refuses to heal. His voice, though weary, carries the weight of a father's grief and a citizen's demand for accountability. He speaks plainly: "Nothing has changed." This is not just a personal lament; it is a damning indictment of the Serbian institutions that, according to him and other victims' families, failed to act when it mattered most.

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Nismo se pomakli sa te tačke, ostali smo u 3. i 4. maju. Ništa novo se nije desilo, niko nije preduzeo konkretne korake, niti je pokrenuta inicijativa za izmenu zakona

Panić points to a disturbing pattern of inaction and a lack of responsibility. He asserts that the perpetrator, Uroš Blažić, exhibited violent tendencies and faced multiple reports prior to the massacre, yet these warnings seemingly fell on deaf ears. The families have been pleading for three years, trying to illuminate the systemic flaws and errors within the institutions – the police, the prosecution, the military, and social services. Yet, no one, he claims, has been held accountable. This perceived impunity breeds a deep sense of injustice and fuels the families' continued fight for answers and reform.

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Da je reagovano na vreme, možda bi se tragedija sprečila

The discussion around criminal responsibility, particularly for young adults, is a central theme in Panić's plea. He argues that the current legal framework, which allows for leniency based on age, is insufficient. "When someone turns 18, they must bear full responsibility for their actions," he insists, questioning the age-based distinctions that prevent the harshest penalties. This sentiment resonates deeply within a society grappling with the aftermath of such violence, seeking both justice for the victims and measures to prevent future atrocities. The lack of political will to address these deep-seated issues is a source of profound frustration, leaving families feeling unheard and unseen.

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Kada neko napuni 18 godina, mora da snosi punu odgovornost za svoja dela, bez obzira na starosne kategorije koje zakon prepoznaje

From our perspective at N1, this tragedy is not merely a crime; it is a symptom of deeper societal and institutional failings. While international media may report on the facts of the case, they often miss the nuanced, local context of systemic neglect and the persistent struggle of victims' families to achieve meaningful change. The Serbian public discourse is marked by a sense of shared trauma, but also by a growing demand for transparency and accountability from those in power. The families' ongoing appeals are a testament to their resilience and their unwavering commitment to ensuring that their loved ones' deaths were not in vain, and that the institutions meant to protect them will finally be held to account.

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Imam utisak da i dalje preovlađuje stav 'nije moje dete', i da zbog toga izostaje reakcija