Skinheads kill 14-year-old Romani boy in Yugoslavia

07 November 1997

A 14-year-old Roma boy was killed late Friday, October 17, by a group of skinheads in downtown Belgrade, Yugoslavia, media reported Saturday.

Duško Jovanović was approached in a Street near his home by several skin heads who reportedly demanded money from him and started kicking him and beating him with lead pipes even before he could answer. The boy was left dead on the pavement with a broken neck, witnesses said.

Police cordoned off surrounding streets and arrested two skinhead suspects. Approximately three thousand mourners attended Duško funeral on October 21.

Observers report a dramatic rise in skinhead violence against Roma in Yugoslavia in recent months. RFE/RL reported that skinheads severely beat two Roma in Belgrade on October 27.

(Associated Press, RFE/RL)