Novi Sad: Son, 21, Held 30 Days for Mother's Murder
The Higher Court in Novi Sad has ordered up to 30 days of pretrial detention for a 21 year old man suspected of stabbing his mother Ljiljana (57) to death. A sanity evaluation was also ordered.
The Higher Court in Novi Sad has ordered up to 30 days of pretrial detention for A. B. (21), of Novi Sad, who is suspected of the aggravated murder of his mother, Ljiljana B. (57). The decision followed the suspect’s questioning at the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad over suspicion that he committed the crime.
Prosecutors explained the grounds for the detention to the newspaper Novosti.
Detention was ordered due to the existence of special circumstances indicating that the suspect could obstruct the proceedings by influencing witnesses and could repeat the criminal offense. Detention was also ordered due to public disturbance, which could jeopardize the smooth and fair conduct of the criminal proceedings.
That is how the explanation from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad reads, as reported by Novosti. An appeal against the detention order is allowed, to be filed with the court’s non trial panel.
According to Novosti, prosecutors have also ordered a psychiatric and psychological evaluation of the suspect, meant to determine the degree of his sanity, that is, his accountability at the moment of the crime.
Based on information available so far, the killing took place during the night between Friday and Saturday, around 3 a.m., following an argument between mother and son. Ljiljana B., according to Novosti, suffered multiple stab wounds. Police arrived at the scene soon after but found the woman with no signs of life, and the son in the apartment. Reports so far list the Novi Sad neighborhood of Telep as the location, and September 18 as the date of the crime.
Srpske Novine reported on the suspect’s arrest on September 20. The court’s detention ruling is the first step in proceedings now led by the prosecution, whose outcome also depends on the findings of the sanity evaluation.
The case in Novi Sad is not an isolated one. Almost two years ago, in the same city, a similar crime took place: Igor M. killed his mother, Ana, with a saw. He, according to Novosti, died shortly afterward in the Special Prison Hospital in Belgrade.
Under the law, the suspect is presumed innocent until a final verdict is reached, and his guilt for the offense he is charged with has not been established.
