The trial of employees of the Correctional Facility “Padinska Skela” for the criminal offense of – negligent work in service, which resulted in the death of Stanimir Brajković, who was beaten to death by three cellmates, continued today before the Higher Court in Belgrade.
In this proceeding, Slađana Kovačević, Dušan Komazec, Stefan Pavlović, Zoran Krstić, and Vesna Sredojević are on trial.
At today’s hearing, two witnesses testified – the head of the treatment service at KPZ “Padinska Skela” and the work organizer of the duty services at KPZ “Padinska Skela.”
The head of the treatment service at KPZ “Padinska Skela” said that he learned on February 5 that Stanimir Brajković had passed away and that at first he thought he had died of natural causes, i.e., due to heart problems.
CRIME SCENE: KPZ Padinska Skela
However, as he recounted, after a few days, he learned that there had been problems in the room where Brajković was, and that he had been housed with younger convicts who had abused him.
He added that when a convict has a health problem, the doctor should inform several instances – the head of the security service, the warden of the institution, and him as the head.
When he learned that there had been abuse against Brajković, as he explained, he filed a disciplinary report against the medical technician and the doctor because they did not inform the authorities of their findings.
The head of the treatment service at KPZ “Padinska Skela” said that it rarely happened that violence and abuse occurred in a cell, but when it did, they would move the convict to another room.
During his testimony, he stated that there are three types of departments in the prison – open, semi-open, and closed, and that Brajković, as a misdemeanour convict, was housed in the closed section where the strongest security measures are applied.
He clarified that the decision to house misdemeanour convicts in the closed type was made a few years ago due to, as he said, a large influx of migrants.
Lawyer: “Court to obtain information on which judge sentenced Brajković”
The lawyer of one of the defendants said that the court should obtain information on which judge of the Misdemeanour Court in Belgrade sentenced Brajković to 30 days in prison for a single firecracker. He said that the judge should be summoned to the hearing and questioned about the deceased’s personality, “because such a decision led to us having this trial today.”
“He was sitting by the window and breathing heavily”
The second witness, the work organizer of the duty services at KPZ “Padinska Skela”, said that he first learned about Brajković’s injuries on January 25, when an examination was conducted and the injuries were photographed.
He said that he had a “one-on-one” conversation with Brajković, and that this is a practice to make convicts feel safer and freer to report if there is any problem.
– Brajković denied mistreatment and said that he sustained the injuries when he tripped. He then said that he hit his head on a cassette and a note was made about that – he said at the trial.
The work organizer of the duty services at KPZ “Padinska Skela” said that he inquired about Brajković again on January 27, but that he had no new information then.
– On February 4, I organized an extraordinary control of the duty service and came to the department where Brajković was. The duty commander told me that there was an older person who felt unwell. I entered the room and found Brajković sitting by the window, with his back to the room. He did not react to my entry and was breathing heavily – he said before the court.
As he recounted, he then called the duty commander and told him to call an ambulance. After that, he continued his rounds.
The witness at today’s hearing, answering the lawyer’s question, said that the commander’s room is located between the left and right wings and that banging and yelling in the cells can be heard.
In this procedure, three more witnesses remain to be heard, who will be summoned to the trial scheduled for July 4.
Chilling Details of the Prison Murder
As suspected, Srećko Stefanović (20), Saša Stanković (21), and Dalibor Petrović (21) are suspected of brutally abusing and torturing Stanimir in February.
It is suspected that in the room where they stayed together, they mentally, physically, and sexually abused Stanimir daily, after he ran out of money with which he bought groceries for the suspects in the prison canteen.
They slapped him daily, beat him with their feet and hands in the head and body area, and on one occasion, Dalibor Petrović, as suspected, hit him with his knee on his body and ribs, while on another occasion, he sexually abused him with a broomstick.
Suspect Saša Stanković, as the Prosecutor’s Office previously announced, made him drink his urine from a coffee cup, while Srećko, it is suspected, pulled his tongue out of his mouth with a towel to prevent him from complaining to the commanders about the abuse and humiliation he was suffering.
According to unofficial information obtained by “Blic,” the deceased S.B. was often covered in bruises.
However, it is suspected that, probably out of fear of revenge, the abused man told doctors during examinations that he had fallen on his own and dared not report the violence.
Warden Replaced, Seven Individuals Under Disciplinary Proceedings
Due to this tragic event, as “Blic” wrote, the warden of this correctional facility, Vladimir Bukvić, was replaced and another person was soon appointed, while the Administration reacted by initiating disciplinary proceedings.
Four months later, four guards and a doctor who worked in the prison were arrested.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade issued a statement regarding the arrest of guards and a doctor in connection with the murder in Padinska Skela prison.
According to the statement from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office, doctor Vesna S., as well as four prison officials, shift leader Slađan K. employed as a junior supervisor, and three commanders Dušan K., Stefan P., and Zoran K. were arrested.
Also, the evidently negligent conduct includes the failure to record the injuries sustained by Stanimir Brajković in the daily report and the failure to inform superiors about it.
Source: Blic/Tanja Komarica Photo: Private archive, N1