Masked attackers beat boy (15) in Novi Sad, two arrested
A group of about ten masked youths with wooden batons attacked teenagers gathered in a park by the Medical School. A 15-year-old suffered severe head injuries, and two suspects have been arrested.
- A group of about ten masked attackers with wooden batons stormed into a park by the Medical School in Novi Sad.
- A 15-year-old boy suffered multiple skull fractures, brain bleeding and a broken jaw, and doctors are fighting for his life.
- Two suspects, O. M. (21) and P. J. (22), were arrested and held for up to 48 hours.
- Police are searching for three more, while several hundred citizens gathered outside the police headquarters.
The attack happened overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, in a park next to the Medical School in Novi Sad. A group of about ten masked young men, armed with wooden batons, burst in among the gathered teenagers. In moments, a quiet gathering turned into violence the city rarely remembers.
According to the investigation, a 15-year-old boy fell while trying to run away. The attackers allegedly kept striking him with batons on the head and body even after he was on the ground. He was rushed to the Clinical Center of Vojvodina with serious injuries.
Doctors recorded multiple skull fractures, brain bleeding, a broken jaw and numerous injuries to the head and face. The fight for his life continues. Another minor was also hurt, though those injuries were, fortunately, lighter.
Who was arrested and what comes next?
Police responded quickly. O. M. (21) and P. J. (22), both from Novi Sad, were arrested. On the order of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad, they were held for up to 48 hours. Within that window the prosecutor decides whether to seek pretrial detention.
The chain stopped with the two suspects, but the investigation did not. Police are searching for three more young men suspected of taking part in the attack. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage, analyzing phone communications and examining evidence collected at the scene.
No suspect’s guilt has been established by a final ruling. At this stage this is a matter of reasonable suspicion, not a verdict. The minors involved, both the victim and any participants under legal age, remain protected by law from having their identities published.
Why did citizens gather outside the police?
The news spread quickly through the city. Already during the day, several hundred people gathered outside the Novi Sad police headquarters. They demanded information about the attack and a clear response from the institutions. Without banners and without incident, the gathering was quiet but resolute.
Parents asked a question that is not being raised for the first time: how a group of masked youths carrying batons could roam freely through a park next to a school. Youth violence in Novi Sad has been a recurring theme in recent months, and this case pushed it back onto front pages in the worst possible way.
For now, what is known is what the investigation has confirmed. The rest is still being established, with the caution such cases demand, because at the center of the story is a child fighting for his life. In your view, what would have to change for a park next to a school to become a safe place again?
