The Police Directorate reported on Tuesday that their expert team did not identify any shortcomings in the actions of police officers in implementing security during the festival and protest on August 22 in Benkovac, when the play called Nosi se was interrupted.
"In relation to the clumsy communication of the police officer - although it was said in good faith - the wrong message was conveyed to the public and the persons involved, since the police guaranteed the safety of all citizens at all times. The above example will be used for further education of police officers", they state in the press release.
They point out that the Croatian police guarantee the right to hold all public gatherings. "In securing public gatherings, in addition to security, the police protect the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly of all participants, regardless of different and often opposing views. The police will always prevent conflicts and prosecute persons who disrupt public order and peace and commit misdemeanors or criminal acts."
They remind that the Ministry of Interior has signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Croatian Journalists' Association and the Croatian Journalists' Union, through which they jointly contribute to the protection of journalists in the performance of their work tasks. "In this spirit, we draw attention to the fact that in this incident the 32-year-old woman did not have a prominent journalistic or any other accreditation, nor did she present herself as a journalist," the statement reads.
'The police were ready to secure both public gatherings'
Describing the course of events in detail, they state that the Benkovac-Obrovac Police Station received reports of both public gatherings - the cultural program of the Teatro Verrdi association and the peaceful protest of the Benkovac Association of Croatian Homeland War Volunteers.
"In accordance with the rules and security assessment, security plans were developed with the anticipated number of members of the basic, criminal and emergency police. Police officers were positioned in the area of the reported public gatherings with sufficient forces for the successful implementation of all tasks."
The organizer of the public gathering on the summer stage, as they state, first informed the police security manager at around 7:15 pm that the program would go ahead as planned, only to be informed shortly afterwards that some of the actors did not want to perform and that they were canceling the show.
They point out that the organizer made the decision despite clear assurances from the police that they would ensure safe conditions for the festival program. "Publicly available footage gives the incorrect impression that the conflict between the 32-year-old and the participants in the peaceful protest occurred before the show was canceled and that this could be a possible reason. However, this is not the case," they say in a statement.
They explain that “the 32-year-old's first encounter with the protest participants occurred after the festival organizer made the decision to cancel it.” She first approached four protesters who were at the location designated for the peaceful protest and filmed them from close range.
She then went to a restaurant about 200 m from the public gathering place, where the protest participants had gathered before participating in the protest itself, and filmed them there with her mobile phone. The protest organizer requested police intervention, stating that a female person was provoking them, getting in their faces, filming them, making faces and sticking out her tongue.
At the same time, the police were notified that a group of men were attacking a woman at a restaurant. "Police officers headed to the scene, noticing a procession of protesters moving towards the protest site and a 32-year-old woman walking alongside them and filming them with her cell phone. At that moment, the police officers did not notice any illegal behavior, nor did the 32-year-old woman, with whom they had come into contact, report any illegal behavior to them," the statement said.
'It is not true that the police ignored calls for help'
They also state that the event depicted in the publicly released footage - in which unlawful conduct was subsequently established - did not occur at a public gathering place and in the presence of police officers. Namely, the police officers were securing the area designated for the public gathering, approximately 200 m from the location of the unlawful conduct, and the location of the event was not visible to them.
They point out that the peaceful protest was held without any illegal behavior, with the presence of the police, who mediated the conversation between the organizers of the public gatherings and acted preventively and in good faith.
The footage, a clip of which was released to the public, was taken in the parking lot of a nearby shopping mall, where the 32-year-old's parents drove up after leaving the public gathering place.
"The police officers who were following their vehicle received a tip that a group of fans - participants in the protest - were heading towards the said location. Therefore, the police officer approached the people in the vehicle and suggested that they move away from the location for preventive reasons. A female person unknown to him at the time then joined in their communication, which was recorded on video. In the part of the recording that was made public - although well-intentioned and taking into account the safety of the people whose vehicle he was following - the police officer expressed himself clumsily, which left the wrong impression in the public."
Five people were reported for offenses against public order and peace
The Police Directorate adds that the police "summoned the 32-year-old woman that same evening to discuss the circumstances of the incident" and that the criminal investigation conducted so far has determined that five people committed a violation of public order and peace, for which they were arrested and brought before a judge of the Municipal Court in Zadar on August 23, with an indictment.
The police also imposed a precautionary measure prohibiting them from approaching, establishing or maintaining a relationship with the 32-year-old woman for eight days, which the court confirmed. The Municipal Court in Zadar released the reported defendants by decision and scheduled a hearing for September 3, 2025.
Furthermore, on August 23, 2025, a 32-year-old woman filed a criminal complaint at the Benkovac-Obrovac Police Station on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of coercion against a person performing tasks of public interest or in public service, to her detriment.
Acting on the above-mentioned report - respecting the Agreement on Cooperation between the Ministry of the Interior, the Croatian National Police and the Croatian National Police and the accompanying protocols, the police immediately consulted with the Municipal State Attorney's Office in Zadar and submitted the minutes, and then all the findings from the investigations conducted to that point.
Based on the information submitted to date, the Municipal State Attorney's Office in Zadar informed the police that no elements of criminal offenses that are being prosecuted ex officio to the detriment of the 32-year-old woman have currently been established.
They requested that the police, upon completion of the criminal investigation, provide them with all the information gathered in order to make a decision for the state attorney, according to the Police Directorate.
Photo: HINA/Damir Senčar
