Arrests Begin Over Fake Stabbing Panic at Usce Festival
After reports of knife attacks that police found never happened, prosecutors are charging people suspected of causing panic at the Belgrade Music Week festival.
- Serbian police began making arrests on June 29 over false posts about alleged incidents at the Belgrade Music Week festival.
- During the closing night, stories spread about a person with a knife and stabbings, but officers on the ground found no evidence anyone was hurt.
- A woman, 65, was among the first identified and was detained for up to 48 hours on the prosecutor's order.
- The case is being run under Article 343 of the Criminal Code, on causing panic and disorder.
The Interior Ministry began arresting people suspected of spreading false news during the Belgrade Music Week festival at Usce on June 29. The posts described alleged incidents that police say turned out to be untrue.
During the closing night of the festival, claims spread quickly online and through the crowd that a person with a knife was moving among the people. Some posts also mentioned alleged stabbings. Police responded at once and checked the reports.
The on-site inspection confirmed no stabbings. According to unofficial information, officers found no injured person matching the descriptions in the posts. It appears the whole story emerged and spread without any real trigger.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade ordered investigators to establish the identity of those who shared such content. A woman, 65, was among the first to be identified. On the prosecutor’s order, she was detained for up to 48 hours for questioning.
The case is being pursued on suspicion of causing panic and disorder under Article 343 of the Criminal Code. That offence covers stating or spreading false news or claims that disturb the public.
What does the law say about causing panic?
Article 343 of the Criminal Code penalises spreading false news that causes panic or a serious breach of public order. The basic form carries a fine or imprisonment of up to three years.
If the offence is committed through the media or similar means, or at a public gathering, the penalty is harsher. In such cases the law provides for prison terms of six months to five years.
At this stage, prosecutors are gathering evidence and establishing who first posted the claims and who shared them further. No suspect’s guilt has been finally established. Every person is entitled to a defence and to the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise in court.
The investigation also includes analysis of the digital trail. Forensic review of the social media posts can show the path of the spread and the scale of the alarm they caused.
How did panic spread without a real incident?
Festival nights bring large numbers of people together in an open space. In that kind of crowd, a single unverified claim travels fast from one person to the next. A clip or a message gains weight before anyone checks the facts.
Officials stress that spreading unverified reports of violence is not harmless. A mass attempt to flee a concert can lead to crushing and injuries, even when there was no original threat at all.
The case raises the question of responsibility for everyone who shares content online. The line between passing on information and causing panic is sometimes thin. Where would you draw the line between a warning and a false alarm?
