Three Years of Grief and Remembrance
Serbia marked three years since the mass killings at the “Vladislav Ribnikar” elementary school in Belgrade and in the villages of Dubona and Malo Orašje, events that deeply shook the country and left lasting trauma among families, survivors, classmates and local communities. On May 3, 2023, nine children and a school guard were killed at the Belgrade school, while several pupils and a teacher were wounded. One day later, on May 4, nine young people were killed in Dubona and Malo Orašje, and 12 others were wounded.
The anniversary was marked through commemorations, public messages, wreath-laying and gatherings dedicated to the victims. In Dubona, Minister Adrijana Mesarović and Miloš Vučević laid wreaths, while a memorial program was also held in Malo Orašje. The commemorations were framed as moments of silence, remembrance and solidarity with the families who continue to live with the consequences of the tragedies.
Malo Orašje and Dubona: Pain That Has Not Faded
Reports from Malo Orašje and Dubona emphasized that the wounds in these villages have not healed. Families and friends gathered to remember the young people whose lives were lost, while survivors and relatives spoke about the difficulty of continuing everyday life after the tragedy. One of the most emotional accounts came from Stefan Marković, who lost two brothers in the attack and spoke about the pain carried by his family and the local community.
Another report focused on a young man wounded in Malo Orašje who returned to the sports field for the first time since the tragedy. The moment was presented as deeply emotional, not only for him but also for those around him, because the field itself remains tied to the memory of the young people who gathered there.
At a commemorative gathering, a friend of the victims delivered a moving speech, saying that their absence is still strongly felt and that those who knew them continue to preserve their memory. The message from the commemoration was that the victims must not become only names and dates, but people whose lives, friendships and dreams remain part of the memory of their communities.
Ribnikar Remembered Alongside the Villages
The anniversary of the school tragedy in Belgrade was also recalled through public messages and personal remembrance. One report noted the message of Miloš Čikić, father of Andrija Čikić, who remembered his son three years after the tragedy. The reports again linked the Ribnikar tragedy with the events in Dubona and Malo Orašje, presenting them as two consecutive shocks that changed Serbian society within only two days.
The remembrance was not limited to families and local communities. Students in blockade also issued a message saying that the victims of Dubona and Malo Orašje must not be forgotten. Their statement emphasized remembrance, responsibility and the need to preserve public awareness of what happened.
Experts Warn Children Need Careful Support
Alongside the commemorations, experts again raised the question of how society should speak with children about traumatic events. Child psychiatrist Nedeljko Rrvović said that children remain especially vulnerable and that conversations about mass killings must be adapted to age, focused on emotions and support, and should avoid additional fear. He stressed that children need to hear the truth in a careful way, but also need to feel safe and supported by adults.
Rrvović said parents and teachers should be present not only as authority figures, but also as people children can talk to. He warned that signs of stress or trauma may include withdrawal, avoiding school, headaches or stomach pain, and said that if such symptoms last or appear together, adults should react in time and seek professional help when needed. He also emphasized that children should not be seen only through school results or behavior, because every child has an inner world that adults need to understand and support.
Legal Proceedings Still Part of the Public Context
The reports also recalled the legal aftermath. Several court proceedings were launched after the mass killings, and some were still not fully concluded three years later. In the Ribnikar case, proceedings were brought against the parents of the boy who carried out the shooting, as well as against people connected to the shooting club where he had trained. Because he was under 14 at the time, he could not be held criminally responsible.
In the Dubona and Malo Orašje case, an indictment was filed in October 2023 against Uroš Blažić, his father and two relatives. The trial began in Smederevo but was transferred to Belgrade after an incident at the start of proceedings. By the end of 2024, the Higher Court in Smederevo found Uroš Blažić and his father guilty and sentenced both to 20 years in prison, and the verdict was later confirmed after appeals.
Together, the reports present the third anniversary as a day of remembrance, grief and public reflection. The central message is that the victims of Ribnikar, Dubona and Malo Orašje must not be forgotten, while survivors, families and children affected by these events continue to need support, care and a society that remembers them with dignity.
