The Ministry of Health told Croatian news agency Hina on Friday that it had launched an inspection at the Sveti Ivan psychiatric hospital in Jankomir, where a 19-year-old who killed a seven-year-old and injured several other pupils and a teacher at a Zagreb primary school was allegedly being treated.

The perpetrator suffered his injuries during a suicide attempt, which the police prevented.

Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said the attacker had previously been documented for mental health problems: “It is known that the man had mental health problems, including a suicide attempt about a year ago. It is difficult to characterise him as mentally stable, especially as he tried to take his own life again today.”

According to the attacker’s mother, her son had been to the psychiatric hospital in Jankomir several times. She said she had urged the doctors to keep him in hospital, but they had released him back home.