Petrovac na Mlavi: young man (21) dies, prosecutor's office orders examination
The Pozarevac Basic Public Prosecutor's Office is leading the pre-investigation; the body has been sent for autopsy, circumstances of death under inquiry.
A 21-year-old man died on May 27 in Petrovac na Mlavi from severe injuries sustained in an incident. The circumstances are being established by the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Pozarevac.
The body was sent without delay to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for autopsy, according to a source close to the proceedings.
Scene inspection and examinations
Officers from the Pozarevac Police Administration processed the scene. They collected traces and statements from witnesses who were first to render aid.
The prosecutor’s office has ordered the following examinations:
- biological and mechanoscopic analysis of traces
- toxicology screening of samples taken at the scene
- autopsy at the Institute of Forensic Medicine
Circumstances of death not officially released
The circumstances of death, at the time of writing, have not been officially released. The case is in the pre-investigation phase. At that stage procedural details are not released until confirmation by the pre-trial judge.
According to unofficial accounts, the version of a criminal offence with elements of violence has been ruled out. The final assessment depends on the autopsy.
Sentences under the Criminal Code
The criminal offence of medical negligence under Article 251 of the Criminal Code, if death is established as the result of a medical error, carries a sentence of one to ten years.
If the offences of causing general danger or violent conduct are established, different articles of the Criminal Code will apply.
Protection of the family’s identity
The family has been notified. The identity of the deceased, in line with journalistic rules and the protection of family privacy, is not being published in full name.
The prosecutor’s office releases procedural status only when grounds exist to file a criminal complaint.
The next procedural step
Autopsy results, by standard procedure, are delivered to the prosecutor’s office within ten days. Upon receipt of the autopsy report, the prosecutor’s office decides on opening a formal investigation. The procedure is discontinued if there are no grounds for criminal prosecution.
From the local administration of Petrovac na Mlavi, at the time of writing, no statement on the case had been released. According to sources close to the family, the young man came from a family residing in the municipality.
YUCOM on prosecutorial transparency
From the Committee for the Protection of Victims of Violence, in a general comment on similar cases, lawyer Dusica Djordjevic said:
Transparency of the prosecutorial inquiry is important for protecting the rights of the family and for preventing the spread of rumours that burden public discourse, especially in cases where a young person has died and where no procedural statements have been released.
Will the autopsy establish a criminal offence or will the procedure be discontinued? Follow updates from the prosecutor’s office on our portal.
