Supetar Mayor Alarms Croats: 'This Is a Dangerous Path'
Ivana Marković strongly condemns the brutal beating of a minor from Zagreb in a fast food restaurant on Brač and warns of pervasive violence in society.
Ivana Marković strongly condemns the brutal beating of a minor from Zagreb in a fast food restaurant on Brač and warns of pervasive violence in society.
In a catering establishment in Supetar on the island of Brač, on August 1, 2026, at around 7:30 PM, a brutal physical attack occurred on a minor from Zagreb. According to the Split-Dalmatia Police Department, two younger males attacked the boy, who sustained minor physical injuries, and a criminal investigation is underway.
The details of the incident were described to the media by a family member of the attacked boy. The minor was sitting quietly and eating in a fast food restaurant when two young men approached him, knocked him to the ground, and began hitting him with their hands and feet all over his body, including his head, neck, and back.
"What saved him was the staff of the establishment who quickly rushed over. They were hitting him all over his body. He sustained minor injuries," a reader of 24sata recounted, emphasizing that the boy did nothing to provoke the attack and had no prior contact or disagreements with the locals. He had arrived in Supetar just two days before the incident, and the family believes the motive for the attack was the fact that he is from Zagreb.
"The police received a report that on August 1 at around 7:30 PM, in a catering establishment in Supetar, two younger males physically attacked another person. According to currently available information, the minor sustained minor physical injuries. A criminal investigation is underway," reported the Split-Dalmatia Police Department. It is not yet known whether the suspects have been identified or what preceded the attack.
The incident drew a sharp response from the Mayor of Supetar, Ivana Marković, who sent a strong anti-violence message to 24sata and Index.hr. "As always, I strongly and unequivocally condemn every form of violence. Violence cannot be a way to resolve any disagreements, differences, or social problems, regardless of where it comes from or who it is directed at," Marković stated.
The Mayor warned of a worrying climate of intolerance spreading through society. "I constantly warn that violence today is pervasive on the streets, on social media, through messages, insults, and hate messages on walls, that such a climate of intolerance has been created. We are witnessing a time when the street is increasingly trying to replace law, procedures, and institutions with force. This is a dangerous path that weakens society and distances us from the values of democracy," Marković said.
She particularly emphasized the responsibility of public figures in combating such phenomena: "The message that violence is permitted. That is why I believe that our messages, especially those of public figures, must be clear: there is no place for violence, hatred, and intimidation in our society. Especially not based on affiliation, origin, religion, or gender."
Marković thanked the Brač Police Station for their engagement and professionalism and added that institutions should establish all the facts and responsibility. The criminal investigation is ongoing, and the police have not yet released additional information about the motive for the attack.
