Tragedy in Sveti Križ Začretje: Father Suspected of Killing Two Children
Three bodies found in family home, investigators await autopsy results to determine the exact sequence of events. Municipal mayor announces a day of mourning.
Three bodies found in family home, investigators await autopsy results to determine the exact sequence of events. Municipal mayor announces a day of mourning.
Residents of Sveti Križ Začretje were shaken by horrific news on Saturday morning. After a report of a fire and explosion in a family home, firefighters found three bodies inside. According to unofficial information, it is suspected that the father killed his two minor children and then took his own life.
The Krapina-Zagorje Police Department confirmed that the report was received on Saturday, August 1, 2026. According to N1 BiH, the call came in around 7:20 AM, while Slobodna Dalmacija and Jutarnji list report the exact time as 7:24 AM. Firefighters from the Zagorje Public Fire Brigade Zabok and the Sveti Križ Začretje Volunteer Fire Department participated in extinguishing the fire.
The investigation at the scene was led by Sanja Markanović, deputy county state attorney in Zagreb. She stated that all traces and evidence necessary to determine the exact circumstances of the event are being collected.
"All traces and evidence are being collected to determine the exact circumstances of the event. After the investigation is completed, the bodies of the victims will be sent for autopsy," Markanović said.
As of Sunday morning, neither the police nor the State Attorney's Office had released new details. According to unofficial findings from Jutarnji list, investigators have not yet received the autopsy results. Until the causes of death are officially confirmed, institutions are reluctant to draw final conclusions about what happened in the house.
According to N1 BiH, the father allegedly killed his 17-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter, then set the house on fire and committed suicide. Residents reported hearing three gunshots coming from the direction of the house before the fire broke out.
According to sources, the night before the incident, the father had posted a message on social media suggesting possible revenge against his wife. At the time of the crime, the mother and wife was at her workplace and arrived at the scene after hearing that her house was on fire. She received medical assistance due to shock.
The Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy confirmed to RTL and Jutarnji list that the family was not under the supervision of the Social Welfare Center and that no family-law protection measures had been taken against them. The police had no prior interventions related to this family.
Marko Kos, the mayor of Sveti Križ Začretje, said that a day of mourning will be declared in the town after the official results of the investigation are released. If it is confirmed that this was a double murder and suicide, criminal proceedings cannot be initiated against the suspect because he is also deceased.
