Attack on passenger train near Metlika: stone or bullet? Forensics seeks answer
A passenger train on the Metlika–Novo mesto line was struck during travel; the train driver heard two loud reports and stopped the train. Police are investigating the incident in which two minors are suspected.
Incident on the Metlika–Novo mesto line: train hit by stones or projectiles?
A passenger train on the line between Metlika and Novo mesto was targeted in an attack last week at Dobravice railway station, according to 24ur. The train driver heard two loud reports during the journey, preventatively stopped the train and notified police. No one was injured; the train sustained only minor material damage.
Slovenian Railways confirmed the incident. A forensic examination will reveal whether the train was struck by stones or projectiles – this question remains open pending the conclusion of the inspection.
According to initial police findings, two children threw stones at the train, having returned from a nearby playing field. When they noticed the train, each of them threw a stone in its direction, after which they ran home. The suspected perpetrators are minors.
Mayor warns of spate of incidents
Martina Legan Janžekovič, mayor of Metlika municipality, explained to 24ur that she spoke directly with the commander of Metlika police station about the incident. "On the basis of your enquiry I communicated with the commander of Metlika police station, in the conversation he explained to me that the aforementioned event occurred, the attack was supposedly carried out by two minors," the mayor said.
The incident at Dobravice is not isolated. An anonymous resident describes an escalation of damage to public infrastructure at the railway station: "At the railway station they first damaged the sign on the shelter, then they broke the cupboard where the timetable was, and now just days ago there was an attack on the train."
Growing vandalism in the municipality
Conditions in Metlika municipality, where a Roma community lives, are reportedly worsening according to those interviewed. An anonymous local resident emphasises the scale of the problems: "There is more and more of this vandalism now day by day." Alongside attacks on railway infrastructure, thefts, vandalism and damage to public property are multiplying.
Mayor Legan Janžekovič is critical of the institutional response: "And all these acts show that the institutions responsible for this area are not doing their job properly." According to her, conditions are said to have only worsened since the implementation of the Šutarica Act.
A definitive answer to the question of whether the train was struck by a stone or a projectile will be provided by the forensic examination.
Source: 24ur