The three men will today be taken to the pre-trial investigation centre of the Sibenik County Court and will be charged with violent behaviour and trespassing, chief of police Branko Peran said at a press conference. He added that one of them would also be charged with property destruction.
A police investigation found that the men arrived at the building by motorbike and entered the yard by jumping over the fence. Under the influence of alcohol, they overturned nine plastic vases with flowers, a wooden bench and a stone table, and damaged the front door made of aluminium. The damage was estimated at slightly over 500 kuna, or 70 euros.
The incident was reported by Serb Orthodox nuns at 2140 hours on 29 September, and police began an on-site investigation 20 minutes later, Peran said, adding that a police patrol that had arrived earlier did not find the perpetrators at the scene.
"This incident has elements of vandalism, but according to the information we have at this stage of the investigation, it has nothing to do with politics. I wish to dissociate myself from statements that were made in public yesterday and today, that this is just another in a series of similar incidents in this area that mainly remain unpunished. I emphatically declare that we have dealt with all the incidents reported to us in accordance with the law. We cannot take responsibility for those we did not know about," Peran said.
Peran said that the nuns initially cooperated with the police during the investigation, but next day they and the parish priest refused further cooperation saying they had received instructions from the Serb Orthodox Bishop of Dalmatia, Fotije, not to make any statements to the police. The chief of police stressed that this had only made the investigation more difficult.