Protesters rally in city of Zadar 'against a judiciary which protects criminals'

The rally in downtown Zadar brought together about 1,000 people who carried banners with messages of support for and solidarity with the victim.

Protesters demanded that the local prosecutor's office change the charge against Darko Kovacevic from grievous bodily harm to attempted murder because in that case investigative custody lasts up to 12 months and not six.

The victim's mother, Ana Gurlica, addressed the rally, saying her daughter was shut in her home, afraid for her life, while her abuser was freely walking the streets.

Protesters rallied outside the local courthouse, reading out testimonies of abused women.

Kovacevic was released from custody last Friday after his attorneys failed to show up in court. The hearing could not be held and the judge had to release him given that the six-month deadline for keeping him in investigative custody on the charge in question had run out.

Legislative amendments announced

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday the Kovacevic case was a "horrific case of violence in which it's more than clear, and the evidence is on the Internet, what exactly happened" and that he was outraged by the developments in this case.

Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic visited Zadar on Sunday for talks with the heads of local courts and prosecutors to review the facts and the timeline in the case after Kovacevic's release from investigative custody.

Bosnjakovic announced amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act and the implementation of new European Union directives, saying this case would prompt legislative amendments to improve the legal framework so that such things did not happen again.

Follow N1 via mobile apps for Android | iPhone/iPad | Windows| and social media on Twitter | Facebook.