April 16, 2023 - A young soldier, Jakov Bočkaj, has died, beaten to death by a friend. The police have released new information, reports Index.hr.

Jakov Bočkaj (21), a young soldier who was brutally beaten on the night of Friday to Saturday on the main square in Požega, DIED.

Doctors at the Požega General Hospital fought for the young man's life, but this morning around 9:20 he died from his injuries.

The police arrested 20-year-old M.K., who is from the same place as the young soldier, for the beating. Apparently, they were friends and went out together that night.

New police statement
After the announcement of the death of 21-year-old Jakov Bočkaj, the police announced that they had completed the criminal investigation of a 20-year-old Croatian citizen suspected of having committed the crime of grievous bodily harm resulting in death.

Namely, on Saturday, April 15, 2023, around 2:15 a.m. in Požega, on Trg Svetog Trojstva in the parking lot, after a short verbal argument, the suspect physically attacked a 21-year-old man, hitting him several times in the head area.

As a result of the blows, the 21-year-old man fell to the floor, and the suspect continued to hit him a few more times and left the scene. The injured 21-year-old was transported to the General County Hospital in Požega, where he died as a result of his injuries in the morning on Sunday, April 16.

After completing the criminal investigation, the suspect was criminally reported to the competent state attorney and handed over to the custody supervisor, the Požega-Slavonia police announced.

The young soldier and the attacker were friends
The portal pozega.eu announced that the two young men were longtime friends who practically grew up together and that they were out together that night. Nothing is still known about the motives for the beating.

"They grew up together from a young age, only a year apart. They hung out, shared the good and the bad. They were inseparable," the locals told the portal in disbelief.

M.K. and the beaten Jakov shared the pitch of the football club for which they both played, trained and went to matches.

The beaten young man's friends from primary and secondary school, fellow residents and teammates from the football club are in shock. They said he was a very good boy. Požega.eu also announced that Jakov remained in the Croatian army, while other family members went to work in Germany. After the news about their son's beating, the parents returned to Croatia.

Banožić and Hranj announced themselves
The Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Admiral Robert Hranj, spoke about the death of the young soldier.

"The tragically cut short life of this young Croatian soldier is an irreparable loss for the entire Croatian Army, and at this moment we share with you all the sadness and pain due to this heavy loss.

Jakov was one of those brave young men who decided to make his own way in the Croatian Army, and for everything he did for it, I thank him immensely. May the Croatian country that he loved so much rest in peace. May he rest in peace," wrote Minister Banožić in a telegram of condolence that he sent personally and on behalf of the entire Ministry of Defense and the Croatian Army.

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, Admiral Robert Hranj, also expressed his condolences to the family and friends of the member of the Croatian Army, Jakov Bočkaj, on the occasion of his tragic death, the Ministry of Defence announced.

The Ministry of Defense announced earlier that he was found unconscious in the parking lot of Trg Svetog Trojstva around 2:25 on the night of April 15, 2023. They also stated that a member of the Croatian army was off duty during the event.

The attacker pretended to the police that he was just a passer-by, he pretended to help
As Dnevnik Nova TV reported, the brutal attack was recorded by surveillance cameras. According to them, it was a case of brutal shoeing, that is, of multiple and strong kicks to the head of a young soldier, who at one point lost consciousness.

After that, the attacker moves away from that place, and the soldier remains lying down.

Nova TV also learned that the police found a 20-year-old suspect not far from the scene of the attack, who pretended not to know what happened and wanted to help them.

The soldier came to the hospital in Požega in a very serious condition, and resuscitation had to be performed there. It was about injuries to the head, internal bleeding, but also injuries to other parts of the body, which make such a difficult treatment even more difficult.