Parents of boy accused of fatal stabbing in Serbia allowed to visit him

The parents of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering his 14-year-old classmate in Niška Banja, Serbia, have been granted permission to visit him. The boy is currently housed in the Special Prison Hospital in Belgrade following the fatal stabbing incident on October 5, 2023, which involved 37 knife wounds.

A recent ruling by the president of the first-instance court in Niš lifted a restraining order that had prohibited the parents from contacting their son. This measure had been in place since February 26, 2024, and was extended every three months. The court determined that the order was no longer necessary, as the boy had been heard as a witness during a recent hearing, and there was no longer a risk of his parents influencing his testimony.

The boy, identified as M.M., was 13 at the time of the incident and is considered criminally irresponsible under Serbian law. Consequently, the legal proceedings are focused on his parents, M.M. and M.M.M. They face charges of neglect and abuse of a minor, as well as serious endangerment of public safety, committed in complicity. The prosecution alleges that the parents made knives accessible throughout the house, which their son then used to endanger the life and body of his schoolmate, Andrej Simić.

The trial for the parents is ongoing behind closed doors to protect the interests of the minors involved. The next hearing is scheduled for July 17, with new witnesses set to be heard. The parents have so far remained silent during court proceedings. Meanwhile, the victim's parents, Sanja and Mića Simić, described the experience of questioning the accused boy as "very difficult" but stated there was "no remorse" from the killer, who they claim makes various excuses for his actions.

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It was very difficult, but I endured it. There is no remorse. The killer has not regretted what he did for a moment; he finds various excuses for himself.