Kisic: Boy who committed school massacre will not leave psychiatric hospital

Photo: Tanjug/Jadranka Ilic

Serbia's Minister of Family Welfare Darija Kisic says that K.K., a 7th grade student who committed the massacre at the Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school in Belgrade will not be discharged from the psychiatry ward, thus denying reports that appeared in some media.

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The school shooter committed the crime mere months before he turned 14, meaning that he is not legally liable for the 9 murders.

Among other things, Kisic assessed that opposition political parties are trying to use last week's tragedies (there was another massacre a day later that claimed the lives of 8 young people) for various political calculations and to gain political points.

"We see that it is almost exclusively focused on blaming the system, and above all the president. Every day we have wonderful results, but nobody is saying that someone created a climate for that," Kisic told K1, Tanjug reported.

She pointed out that the Ministry of Family Welfare was actively involved from the beginning in all the activities the state undertook after the tragedy, those within the competence of that ministry.

"If someone didn't take pictures, wrote on Twitter or posted on Instagram, then it looks like they didn't do anything and nothing happened. The Ministry of Family Welfare and I, as the competent minister, were actively involved from the beginning. We are in daily communication with all other departments and institutions that are important concerning this event. We all suffered shock initially, as humans," commented the minister.

She also noticed that certain media feel the need to politicize everything and that they are dealing with who was where at what moment, with the taking of pictures, and whether someone was at the site leaving flowers.

"How can I put this, my child goes to a school next door, I am in that place several times a day, and that night (after the massacre) I was with my child as well. If someone didn't call journalists and take a picture and post it on Instagram, it seems like it didn't happen," said Darija Kisic.

Speaking about the tragedy at the Vladislav Ribnikar elementary, Kisic said that K.K. is now in a children's psychiatry ward and that it cannot happen that he will be released, as reported by the media.

"He is in a health facility. When it comes to (him) endangering the surroundings or potentially endangering the surroundings, a whole series of relevant actors are involved," the minister pointed out.

She pointed out that nothing is that simple.

"There was a lot of talk about prevention, but how can we prevent it in this case when we haven't found the causes? The child comes from a socially competent family of highly educated parents who earn good money, and this is shown in all assessments produced by the center for social welfare. Tirsova (Street Children's Hospital), because they treated a lip wound teo years ago, a result of potential peer violence, informed the police and by default the center for social welfare immediately got involved and carried out supervision," Kisic said.

Just as there was a series of triggers that were leading up to this for a long time, the evaluations of experts in different fields will last a prolongued period of time, added Kisic.

She says that she did not sign a book of mourning and asked who is the one who determines how to grieve and where to grieve.

"The first evening I went with my daughter and brought a flower, carried by the sadness in that street that night. I didn't have a strategy, it was my feeling. Do you think that those who signed (the book) grieve more than those who didn't? This event is written in a book of mourning that's in our hearts. It will forever be like that," Kisic stressed.

When it comes to students going back to that school, Kisic says that it is necessary to gradually return to daily activities, flexibility and individuality when reacting.

"Life has to go on, as harsh as that sounds. We have to get back to our routines and find the strength, and never forget what happened. Their (the victims') families' lives will never be put back together, it's a lifelong grief. Everyone who goes to that school feels enormous anxiety. What I tell myself and others is that we have to find more time for our family," Kisic said.

Kisic also added that grief has united Serbians.

"On May 26 (during authorities-organized rally), we will show how united Serbia is and we will show an image of a decent Serbia. A Serbia that does not call for lynching, for violence. There was enough bloodshed in these areas, hasn't history taught us anything and shown us how much blood has been spilled. We will show how united and strong we are when it comes to situations like this, because it's easy to be united when everything is fine," the minister told the "Uranak" show on K1 TV.

(Telegraf.rs)