Prosecutors Hunt Authors of False Music Week Posts
A special high-tech crime unit has ordered police to identify people who spread false claims of a knife attack at Usce online. Police confirm no one was hurt.
- A special high-tech crime unit has ordered police to identify the authors of false posts about an alleged attack at Usce.
- Police checked the scene and hospitals and confirmed that no person was injured.
- One person was arrested for disturbing public order.
- Prosecutors suspect an offence under Article 343 of the Criminal Code, spreading panic and disorder.
The special unit for high-tech crime at the Higher Public Prosecution Office in Belgrade has ordered police to identify people who spread false claims on social media about an alleged knife attack at Usce. The posts appeared during the closing night of the Belgrade Music Week festival. Prosecutors are acting on their own initiative.
According to available information, a story spread among festivalgoers on the final night that a person with a knife had been seen and that people had been hurt. The claim travelled fast, mostly through social platforms and short clips. Part of the crowd began to panic.
The Ministry of Interior responded at once. Police arrived on site, contacted nearby hospitals and established that no one had been injured. The Emergency Services Sector said it had not carried out a single intervention at the location. In short, the alleged knife attack never happened.
One person was arrested during the night, but not over an attack. They are charged with disturbing public order. The individual’s identity has not been released, and no guilt has been established by a final court ruling.
How the panic spread across Usce
The false alarm showed how quickly an unverified claim can move a crowd. A handful of posts and clips were enough to push a story about an attack through tens of thousands of visitors. The festival organisers denied the claims and condemned the spread of panic and false information.
Prosecutors are now separating two questions. The first is the event itself, which, according to police findings, did not take place. The second is the posts that misled the public. Those posts are the subject of the pre-trial inquiry.
Police have been tasked with determining which accounts pushed the false claims and who stands behind them. In high-tech crime cases this means analysing profiles, the timing of posts and the way the content travelled. The procedure is at an early stage.
What does the law say about spreading panic?
Investigators suspect the criminal offence of spreading panic and disorder under Article 343 of the Criminal Code. The offence applies when someone, by stating or passing on false news, causes panic or serious disruption of public order. The prescribed penalty is higher when the act is committed through the media or similar means, and social networks fall into that category.
No indictments have been filed so far. Prosecutors must first identify the individuals and only then assess whether the elements of a criminal offence exist. Until then, the presumption of innocence applies to everyone involved.
The case raises a broader issue. The line between relaying what someone sees in a crowd and knowingly spreading a lie is not always obvious. Prosecutors will have to prove intent or awareness that the information was false. That is what makes this inquiry legally delicate.
That leaves a question for you, the reader. Where is the line between sharing what you think you see on the spot and being responsible for the panic such a post can cause?
