ZAGREB, 6 Jan (Hina) – Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Sunday, ahead of the start of the second semester, that from Tuesday, all schools would implement a door-locking measure, reassuring the general public that children, upon returning to their classrooms, will feel safe in all schools.

The second semester in Croatian schools begins on Tuesday with a new protocol on entry and exit control, introduced by the Education and Science Ministry in bid to enhance safety and security in educational institutions.

These measures aimed at reinforcing safety and security of students and teaching staff are imposed following the 20 December 2024 knife attack at the school in Prečko, a Zagreb residential area, when a 19-year-old man, a former student of the school who has mental issues, killed a seven-year-old first grader and severely wounded a teacher and three more pupils before he wounded himself.

As for the Prečko knife attack, the minister said that “this was not an act of terrorism, this was not an act of some religious fanatic, this was unfortunately a tragic act of a mentally ill person.”

When asked by the RTL broadcaster, if, given his position, he had considered resigning, the minister answered affirmatively, but also stated that such a decision would be an escape from responsibility.

Fuchs added that the school in Prečko had locked its doors for a long time, and after the 2020 earthquake, it was recommended that doors should not be locked.

He emphasized that global experiences show that in cases like this, when it is not terrorism but the act of a mentally ill person, preventing such incidents is very difficult.

“What is possible is to potentially reduce the risk to some extent,” the minister said.