Darko Belak Says Slovenia Should Rethink How It Handles Serious Youth Violence

The end of a high-profile juvenile case in Celje has revived a difficult debate about how the law deals with young offenders. Darko Belak, president of the Celje District Court, says lawmakers should consider whether current rules are adequate when serious violence involves minors. The case dates back to April, three years before the report. Videos circulated online showing several young people attacking and humiliating a 13-year-old girl on the roof of a shopping centre. The footage appeared to show her being hit and kicked, pulled by the hair and threatened, while some of those present recorded the incident. Police investigated and identified young suspects. The district court later ended the proceedings without a criminal outcome, according to the article. The girl’s mother told POP TV she could not accept that nobody involved in the assault or filming would be held accountable. She said the outcome left her daughter without the sense that justice had been done. Belak explained that prosecutors had requested preparatory proceedings about a year after the incident. The allegations included violence, threats and unlawful image recording. He described the matter as extensive, citing the number of young people involved and the scope of the proceedings. Belak also said it was worth reflecting on possible legislative changes and a different approach to increasingly serious forms of violence reportedly committed by ever-younger offenders. He pointed to practices in some other countries as a possible reference, without setting out a specific proposal in the quoted remarks. The case has brought the consequences of juvenile justice rules into public view: the court’s decision ended this particular proceeding, while Belak’s comments opened a broader discussion about whether the law can respond effectively when minors are accused of grave conduct.