USKOK indicts 19-year-old over bomb threats to schools and kindergartens

Prosecutors from Croatia's anti-corruption and organized crime office (USKOK) have indicted a 19-year-old man from Ploče on terrorism charges before the Split County Court, accusing him of sending bomb threats to schools and kindergartens across the country.

According to USKOK, the defendant is charged with terrorism for allegedly creating fear and mass panic among the public.

The indictment alleges that between April 24 and 29, the suspect used his mobile phone to access an online service and send multiple threatening emails from an account opened in another person's name to institutions and government bodies across Croatia.

The emails claimed explosive devices had been planted in schools and other public institutions in Zagreb, Zadar, Opuzen, Split, and Ploče.

USKOK said the threats, which warned of bomb attacks and mass casualties, triggered widespread panic and caused material damage. Schools and kindergartens were evacuated while police bomb squads searched the buildings, causing fear and anxiety among children, staff, and the wider public.

Commenting on the indictment, Interior Minister Davor Božinović said authorities would eventually identify and prosecute everyone responsible for making such threats.

He noted that the offense carries a prison sentence of one to eight years.

"The message must be clear: this kind of behavior is unacceptable because it causes fear and unrest. Fortunately, we managed to prevent widespread panic," Božinović said.

He expressed hope that a severe sentence would deter both the suspect and anyone considering similar crimes.

"This is not child's play," he added.

The man is believed to be one of several perpetrators who sent thousands of bomb threats to schools and other institutions across the country during a period of several weeks this spring. It is unclear if these individuals were working together or separately.