HRH Crown Prince Alexander issued the following statement for the series of tragic crimes that struck Serbia:

“One more sad morning has come to Serbia. Not even two complete days after the horrible tragedy in “Vladislav Ribnikar” Elementary School, we are witnessing another monstrous crime. Before all, Crown Princess Katherine, me, and the entire Royal Family send our sincere condolences to the families and friends who have lost their loved ones in the horrible act of terror in the villages of Malo Orašje and Dubona near Mladenovac. There are no words that can reduce the pain and sorrow… To all the people wounded, we send sincere wishes to recover as soon as possible.

One can ask himself what to say and if should anything be said at all. But silence will not change anything. Days like this have never before happened in Serbia. Nobody can bring back those who have fallen as victims of these unimaginable crimes. Nobody can reduce the pain and suffering of their families. Wounds of those who have survived these “storms of rage” will heal, but the scars will remain for life. Not only on the body and flesh but scars on the souls.

We all must look deep into ourselves and ask – what has brought us here, as a society. We are all currently united in grief, but we should not allow that, once the grief passes, the awareness of the necessity to take concrete steps towards collective healing also passes. It is impossible to say now what should exactly be done, and I am not even going to try to give answers but… more empathy, compassion, and readiness to say that there is something bothering us, to talk about it, to ask for professional help if needed… that is something that could be starting point.

We pray to God to send comfort and relief before all to the families of those who have fallen, but also to our entire nation and country. Words are weak to express feelings in times like this, but the least we can do is give each other a hand, offer understanding and comfort.”