The main hearing was held today at the Court of Appeal of Montenegro, at which the expert report of the forensic medical board of the Faculty of Medicine in Podgorica was read, on the cause of death of Svetislav Milošević.
Even after hearing Prof. Dr. Miodrag Šoć, a representative of the forensic medical board, the court still remained unclear as to what decisively influenced Milošević's death; whether it was from a punch to the head or from his personal characteristic of blood vessels that were thin and looked like spider webs, as expert witness Dr. Nemanja Radojević stated in his report.
After reading the expert opinion, the court continued the trial of the defendant Igor Laković, accused of committing the criminal offense of "serious bodily harm resulting in death". According to the verdict of the Higher Court in Podgorica, Laković was sentenced to two years in prison for punching Milošević in the left side of the head on November 10, 2021, who died four days later at the Clinical Center of Montenegro.
The Court of Appeal's question was that the forensic medical board, based on the autopsy report of Dr. Nemanja Radojević and the photographs taken during the autopsy, as well as the entire case files, determine the cause of death of the injured party, Svetislav Milošević.
The Forensic Medical Board issued an opinion, which was read by the rapporteur in this case, Judge Predrag Tabaš.
"Death was violent and occurred due to the failure of vital life functions as a direct consequence of blood pouring into the cranial cavity (under the pia mater), from a rupture of the posterior right cerebral artery and the resulting brain swelling, all of which occurred as a result of a blow with a blunt, heavy, mechanical tool (possibly a fist) to the area of the left eye socket," the opinion states.
The expert examination was conducted by Prof. Dr. Miodrag Radunović, specialist in surgery, Prof. Dr. Miodrag Šoć, specialist in forensic medicine, Prof. Dr. Lidija Injac-Stevović, specialist in psychiatry, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tanja Boljević, specialist in maxillofacial surgery, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nikola Bulatović, specialist in orthopedics.
State Prosecutor Lidija Vukčević and lawyer Nebojša Asanović, the representative of the Milošević family, had no objections to the opinion of the forensic medical board.
The representative of the expert team, Prof. Dr. Miodrag Šoć, answered numerous questions from the defense attorney Mirko Bošković, as well as the presiding judge of the panel, Judge Vesna Moštrokol, and Judge Tabaš.
Dr. Šoć, responding to a question from lawyer Bošković, confirmed that the expert team had in mind the autopsy report prepared by Dr. Nemanja Radojević.
"The members of the medical board took into account the autopsy report and photographs taken by Dr. Radojević. It stated that the arteries in the brain of the injured Milošević were thin, spider-like in appearance, that is, thinner than is usual for people of this age. These thin arteries were congenital in the way they were found in Milošević. It is most likely that such arteries are congenital. In this specific case, a force of great intensity acted. If it had not been for this punch, the artery would not have burst. I do not know whether the artery would have burst from a blow of this strength, as it did, if it had been of normal appearance overall," said Dr. Šoć.
He added that in this case, the injured party Milošević had a certain predisposition because his arteries were more sensitive.
"But if force had not been used, the artery would not have ruptured," Dr. Šoć is categorical.
Personal characteristics of the injured party Svetislav Milošević
What the forensic medical board of the Faculty of Medicine in Podgorica and the findings of expert witness Dr. Nemanja Radojević agree on is that the expert witness stated in his findings that a very strong force was applied, clenched with a fist in the eye area, after which blood vessels in the brain ruptured, which led to death.
Dr. Radojević said at the trial in December 2024 that blood had spilled from the space from the rupture of the right posterior cerebral artery, which led to death, and that this had occurred due to the personal characteristics of the injured party.
"Specifically, the personal characteristic of the organism was reflected in the fact that the arteries of the brain were innately thin. Some were like spider webs, and that tearing some of the arteries required an incomparably smaller force than would be required if such an injury had occurred in a healthy person," Dr. Radojević stated at the time.
Dr. Šoć, responding to questions from the defense, repeated.
"Unequivocally, the blood vessel burst due to the action of a strongly swung mechanical tool, as stated in our opinion," said Šoć. He added that the thinner the blood vessels, the more sensitive they are to external influence, but to what degree, he could not say.
"If it weren't for the personal characteristic of the damaged arteries of Svetislav Milošević, would the blood vessels have ruptured?" asked lawyer Bošković.
"I don't know if it would come," said Dr. Šoć and continued.
"The forensic medical board took into account Dr. Radojević's opinion that due to the action of this force, blood vessels without an innate characteristic would not have ruptured. The forensic medical board cannot give such a view of things and we cannot state what would have happened, on a hypothetical basis."
Attorney Bošković recalled that Dr. Radojević stated that if the personal characteristic of the injured party had not existed, the blood vessels would not have burst.
"We think he shouldn't have said that. The members of the forensic medical board disagree with this statement by expert witness Dr. Radojević," replied Dr. Šoć.
"Why do you disagree? Do you rule out the possibility that the blood vessels burst due to personal characteristics," asked Judge Tabaš.
"Our knowledge is not at such a level that we can make such an explicit statement. It is clear that Milošević's blood vessels are sensitive. But I cannot comment on the degree of that sensitivity. If there had been no blow, the blood vessels would not have burst. The blood vessel burst because the man had been hit," said Šoć.
Lawyer Bošković: Dr. Radojević's opinion is more logical than the opinion of the medical board
Lawyer Mirko Bošković objected to the opinion of the forensic medical board.
He stated that Dr. Šoć, as a representative of the committee, responded to questions about the personal characteristics of the injured party, while the expert report does not mention this issue.
"With the exception of Prof. Dr. Šoć, who is a specialist in forensic medicine, the other members of the forensic medical board do not have the necessary professional knowledge to comment on the circumstances that are the subject of the expert examination, that is, which relate to a special personal characteristic. We only have that he spoke on their behalf at the hearing today. Dr. Šoć skillfully avoids giving a specific answer. Dr. Šoć's opinion is different from that of Dr. Radojević. Today, Prof. Dr. Šoć stated that the members of the forensic medical board do not have enough professional knowledge to enable them to answer the questions. My conclusion is that Dr. Radojević's opinion is more professional and logical than the opinion of the medical board," concluded lawyer Bošković.
After a short break, the president of the panel of judges, Vesna Moštrokol, said that the court ordered that additional expert testimony be conducted regarding the personal nature of Svetislav Milošević's blood vessels.
The next main hearing is scheduled for September 4th.
Bonus video:
