Babusnica double-murder trial over sheep grazing opens
The trial of S. M. (50) from the village of Zavidince opened at the Higher Court in Pirot. The indictment accuses him of killing a neighbor and his son and wounding two others over a dispute about sheep grazing.
- The trial of S. M. (50) from the village of Zavidince near Babusnica opened at the Higher Court in Pirot.
- The indictment accuses him of killing a neighbor (69) and his son (41) on November 14, 2025, and seriously wounding the mother and a second son.
- Prosecutors say it all began with a quarrel over sheep grazing, after which the accused drew a pistol.
- He is charged with aggravated murder under Article 114, which carries a possible life sentence, and with illegal possession of a weapon.
One of the most serious criminal cases in southeastern Serbia in recent years has opened at the Higher Court in Pirot. In the dock is S. M. (50) from the village of Zavidince near Babusnica, whom the indictment accuses of killing two neighbors and seriously wounding two more members of the same family within minutes.
The events now being reconstructed in court took place on November 14, 2025. According to prosecutors, it all began with a seemingly trivial argument over sheep grazing, the kind of dispute that can simmer for years in rural areas. That day, prosecutors say, words escalated into gunfire.
What the indictment alleges
According to the indictment, the accused drew a pistol after the argument with his neighbors and opened fire. In the shooting, prosecutors say, a father (69) and his son (41) were killed. The mother and a second son suffered serious wounds and survived, but remained in critical condition for days before recovering in hospital.
Prosecutors charge the accused with aggravated murder under Article 114 of the Criminal Code, an offense that carries prison terms and, in the most serious cases, a life sentence. He also faces charges of illegal manufacture, possession, carrying and trafficking of a weapon, as the pistol used in the shooting was, according to the indictment, held without a permit.
The indictment also sets out a detailed account of the accused’s movements that day, step by step, from the moment of the quarrel to the shooting. These remain allegations that must still be proven at the main hearing. Until a final verdict, the accused is presumed innocent, and his full name is not being published.
A preparatory hearing in the case was held on July 1, when the parties addressed the evidence and the course of the proceedings. The main hearing, at which key evidence will be presented and witnesses questioned, is scheduled for September. That is also when the accused is expected to address the court for the first time.
Why do rural disputes sometimes end in tragedy?
Conflicts over property lines, livestock and grazing rights are among the oldest sources of friction in Serbian villages. Most end in a neighborly quarrel or, in more serious cases, in a courtroom over insults and damages. The Babusnica case shows how a seemingly minor dispute, once a firearm is brought into the home, can take on the scale of a family tragedy.
For investigators and the court, the key question will not only be what happened, but why an argument over animals ended with two people dead and two wounded. The main hearing will try to answer that, as experts and witnesses reconstruct every minute of that November afternoon.
Until then, the facts remain that two people lost their lives and one family was changed forever. How much attention does our society pay to the early warning signs of violence in rural communities, before a dispute turns into tragedy?
