Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić criticized the court’s decision to release students accused of attacking Miloš Pavlović, while simultaneously relativizing the violence against a female student in Novi Sad. Vučić claimed that “the guys were just defending their property” and compared the attack on Pavlović to the attack on the female student, which sparked criticism due to the government’s selective empathy. The incident in Novi Sad involved an attack on the female student by four men who broke her jaw, while Pavlović was attacked by students but only doused with beer. Vučić’s statements have sparked debates about the government’s approach to violence and justice.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning outlets emphasize the selective empathy of the government and criticize President Vučić for relativizing serious violence against the female student. They highlight the severity of the attack on the student and condemn the downplaying of such violence by the authorities.
Center: Center-leaning sources report the facts of the incident and Vučić’s statements, presenting both sides of the story. They focus on the legal and social implications of the court’s decision and the public reaction without strong editorializing.
Right: Right-leaning media tend to support Vučić’s narrative, emphasizing the defense of property and the context of the attacks. They may portray the students accused of attacking Pavlović as victims of unjust treatment and frame the incident as a complex social conflict rather than one-sided violence.
