A. M. (45), a man from Dubrovnik, was sentenced by the Municipal Court in Dubrovnik to a fine of 500 euros for slapping his son on a playground in Mokošica in August 2024. He was convicted only of that slap, while being acquitted of the charge of assaulting another boy.
According to the verdict, A. M. went to the playground in Mokošica in August 2024, where he found his son and two of his friends. He called them over and asked if they had consumed marijuana. When they did not answer his question, he slapped his son and one of the friends. The young man reported the incident at the urging of his father, and the police reported him for domestic violence. In addition, regarding the other boy, a report was filed for breaching public order and peace.
The court noted in its reasoning that the police had not described with sufficient specificity in the indictment why the blow to the other young man would constitute a breach of public order and peace. It was not enough simply to state that the father had slapped him and to cite the relevant article of the law; the circumstances indicating that this offence had been committed also needed to be described. Consequently, the court acquitted A. M. of the charge of assaulting the other boy.
For the slap to his son, the court imposed the mildest penalty, taking into account that he had no prior convictions and that he had admitted everything in court. In his defence, A. M. stated that he had arrived at the playground around 22.30, where a football tournament was being held, and that he had seen his son and his friend smoking marijuana. He was surprised and started shouting at them, then swung his arm and hit his son on the cheek, as well as that friend. He said he had done it more as an educational measure because he did not know how to react in that moment and considered their behaviour to be unacceptable.
In court, he added that only his wife was present there because the tournament had already finished. According to him, the report would not have been filed if that other boy had not reported him, and he believes the report was filed because his father and he are not on good terms. He also pointed out that he remained on good terms with that boy, as they are also related by blood, and that he greets the boy's father when they meet.
