Hello Hive community.
With tears in my eyes and a heavy heart I write this post.
Yesterday was a terrible day for all of Croatia. Our community was shattered by an unthinkable tragedy at Prečko Elementary School in Zagreb. A 19-year-old former student entered the school and fatally stabbed a 7-year-old girl, leaving us all in deep sorrow and disbelief. This senseless act also resulted in injuries to several others, including young children and a teacher who was fighting for her life but both her and the rest of the students are feeling much better.
I don’t even have the strength or appropriate words to express this situation. As we deal with this devastating loss, I am overwhelmed with grief and anger. Our schools should be sanctuaries of learning and safety, not scenes of violence and fear. This incident is a reminder of the systemic failures that continue to plague our society. People send their children to school hoping for their wellbeing there, yet time and again, they are left vulnerable due to inadequate security measures and a lack of comprehensive mental health support. Did it really fall to this? Where not even teachers and children can be safe?
This tragedy is unfortunately not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, a similar horrific event occurred in Serbia, where a teenage boy opened fire in a school in Belgrade, resulting in multiple deaths of children, teachers and a security worker.
We people should URGE our politicians and policymakers to take immediate and crucial action. Is it REALLY NEEDED FOR ANOTHER LIFE OF A YOUNG CHILD TO BE TAKEN AWAY FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING???? We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy to happen. Comprehensive reforms are needed to address the root causes of such violence.
My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this unimaginably difficult time.
But thoughts and prayers are not enough. We must channel our collective grief and anger into action, demanding accountability and change from those in power. Children - the youngest ones, the ones that don’t know and shouldn’t know what evil is.. they deserve to learn and grow in environments free from fear. It is our responsibility to ensure that such tragedies never happen again. This is everyone’s fault.
Today, as Croatia observes a day of mourning (and some countries also joined), we are called not only to grieve but also to reflect and demand change. The time for complacency has passed; NOW is the time for action.
This tragedy affects everyone—students, teachers, families, and society as a whole.
And
To the little soul that left us too soon;
With disbelief and sorrow, I bid you farewell, though I never had the chance to know you. Your smile, your voice, and your spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who did. You were a light, a joy, a source of hope, and though you’ve left us too soon, that light will never stop shining. Rest in peace among the angels, where nothing can ever harm you again.
💔
*Photo credit goes to an amazing artist: Midhat Kapetanovic
