Horror in Makedonya: ‘child abuse’ charge in knife attack on 14-year-old

In the incident that took place in the Čento neighborhood of Makedonya’s capital Üsküp and caused great public outrage, a 14-year-old child was brutally stabbed. 11 days after the incident, the Üsküp Police Department’s (MVR) Violence Crimes Unit initiated an investigation against three suspects and filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office. It was determined that the suspects, J.J., V.S. and V.A. (aged 19-23), are all registered in the Üsküp population. At the moment of horror, Ğelyana Selimi, the mother of the 14-year-old child, claimed that her son was not only stabbed but also hit on the head with a Köşnikov rifle.

In the indictment prepared by the police department and submitted to the prosecutor's office, it was noteworthy that the suspects were charged with ‘violence against a child’ instead of ‘attempted murder’. The fact that this charge was evaluated within the scope of Article 201-a of the Criminal Code stood out as an important detail regarding the legal dimension of the incident. The police determined that the incident took place in a park on ‘Finlandiya’ Street on the night of 22 Haziran, at midnight hours. The report stated that the suspects physically attacked the 14-year-old victim and wounded him by using a sharp and hard object.

As a result of the examinations carried out by the police teams at the scene and its surroundings, it was announced that the knife used in the attack was found, the evidence was seized and sent for forensic examination. Although the legal process continues for the three suspects taken into custody, no clear information was shared on whether they are currently free or in the country, as detention periods are limited to 48 hours. The family of the deceased and a large part of society are concerned that the incident was not categorized as ‘attempted murder’, a more serious crime, and that this situation might be considered a mitigating factor.

Currently, the prosecutor's office has the authority not to accept the police’s ‘violence against a child’ charge as is or to change it during the trial phase. Therefore, the Prosecutor's Office requested detailed medical records from the Üsküp Klinik Merkezi to fully determine the extent of the physical trauma suffered by the 14-year-old victim. The health report to be prepared will play a decisive role in whether the prosecutor's office includes the charges within the scope of ‘attempted murder’. If the charge does not change, there is a possibility that the defendants will be sentenced to imprisonment between 6 months and 3 years.

One of the biggest factors that caused the incident to be heard was the chilling video footage spread on social media after the attack. In the video, the 14-year-old child, who was stabbed in the back and lower parts of his body, was seen collapsing to the ground in a pool of blood and lying motionless. These images sparked debates in society regarding the approach of security forces to the incident and whether sufficient precautions were taken against the suspects. On the other hand, the fact that no judicial control measure has been applied against the suspects at the moment stands out as another detail raising question marks in the public eye.