Serbian gov't adopts new decisions following Belgrade school massacre

BELGRADE - The Serbian government on Thursday adopted new decisions following Wednesday's massacre in a primary school in downtown Belgrade.

Under the decisions, the government proposed a two-year moratorium on issuance of licences for possession and carrying of short firearms.

It also ordered that a review of all licences issued for possession of firearms be completed within three months.

Checks of individuals with licences for possession of firearms must be completed in a period of six months, and fulfilment of legal requirements for safe storage of firearms - including blocking underage persons and other unauthorised persons from accessing weapons and ammunition - will be especially checked as well.

Checks of shooting ranges across Serbia must be carried out within a period of three months and regulations on the use of the facilities - including a ban for underage persons - must be prepared within a month, the government said.

The government ordered the Ministry of Justice and its working group set up to amend the penal code to prepare legislative amendments that would mandate criminal responsibility of persons who enable underage and other unauthorised persons to come into possession of firearms and who train underage and other unauthorised persons to use firearms.

The government also proposed that the Ministry of Justice consider amending the penal code to lower the age limit for criminal responsibility from 14 to 12, in keeping with international and European standards.

It also proposed that the ministries of education and health jointly prepare, within a period of one month, regulations that would enable the introduction of mandatory drug tests at secondary schools and at primary schools for seventh- and eighth-graders.

Within ten days, the government will set up a council on prevention of peer violence that would, among other measures, ensure, through protocols between centres for social work and other services (educational and health care institutions, the police), the establishment of mobile teams to deal with peer violence, and consider, in consultations with educators' unions and associations of parents of schoolchildren, the appropriateness of banning the use of mobile phones in schools.

The government also ordered the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications to jointly consider, within a period of one month, the option of toughening sanctions for providers of media services, including the internet, other electronic platforms and social media networks, for failure to meet the required obligations when it comes to banning programmes highlighting and supporting violence and criminal and other impermissible behaviour, broadcasting of scenes of brutal violence and other content that may severely harm the physical, mental and moral development of an underage person.

In a statement, the government also said it would set up a working group for child safety on the internet that would consider banning access to websites (including Darknet and other web locations) containing advice on how to commit a murder or obtain drugs or firearms.