Slovak Court Remands Two 15-Year-Old Students Over Murder Plot
A court in Banská Bystrica has ordered two 15-year-old students held in custody after they were charged with preparing to kill a classmate, police and court sources said.
Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica ordered both teenagers into custody
Prosecutor had requested detention citing flight risk and prevention
Defense lawyers have filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Slovakia
Slovakia's Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica has remanded two 15-year-old students in custody after police charged them with preparing to murder a classmate, according to TASR and police spokeswoman Martina Šemetková.2
Charges and custody order
Investigators from the Regional Police Directorate in Bratislava brought charges against both students for the especially serious crime of premeditated murder in the preparation stage. A judge for pre-trial proceedings at the Banská Bystrica branch of the Specialized Criminal Court ordered both into custody, citing concern that they might continue criminal activity.2
Police spokeswoman Martina Šemetková confirmed that both 15-year-old boys are being prosecuted in custody, and said no further details could be released at this stage.2
How the hearing unfolded
According to Topky.sk/TASR, the two minors were brought to Banská Bystrica under armed escort, wearing handcuffs, and were accompanied into the hearing room by masked police officers. The same source reported that the prosecutor requested custody for both, citing fear of flight and the need for preventive detention, and that the court's deliberation lasted more than four hours before the judge ordered both teenagers into custody.1
Noviny.sk/TV JOJ reported similar details, describing the students as coming from Bratislava and stating that they were later transported from the court to a detention facility by armed, masked officers.3
Legal representatives for both accused teenagers oppose the custody ruling and have lodged a complaint, which the Supreme Court of Slovakia is expected to decide.13
What remains unconfirmed
Reports from Topky.sk/TASR and Noviny.sk/TV JOJ state that the two boys had allegedly planned to kill a fellow student, according to those media accounts.13
Police spokeswoman Šemetková said that, in order not to jeopardize the investigation, no further facts about the case could currently be disclosed.123
Why it matters
The case involves minors facing one of the most serious charges under Slovak criminal law, premeditated murder in the preparation stage, and raises questions about school safety and the handling of juvenile suspects. It is being closely watched as the appeal moves to Slovakia's Supreme Court.2
