Violence in sports in the Republic of Serbia: The example of the jurisdiction of the higher court in Nis

The authors emphasize that violence in sport can be defined as a violation of the rules of the sport, along with causing damage, where such a behavior does not aspire to achieving the goal of sport. The phenomenon of violence in sport is also known in ancient times, when they were held gladiator fights. At the same time, violence in sport was observed in all epochs, but a systematic study of sports violence occurs only in the second half of the twentieth century. Neither Serbia was not an exception to the exercise of violence at sporting events. The first recorded case of violence in sport took place in 1936 in Zemun. However, an organized response of the state in the form of adoption of a special law to regulate this type of crime violence occurred only in 2003 - then the Act on the Prevention of Violence and Misbehavior at Sports Events. After that, the authors analyses the international documents on prevention of violence in sport, as well as the domestic legal framework. Furthermore, the authors analyzed data on criminal offense of violent behavior at sports events at the level of the Republic of Serbia and the city of Niš. The time frame of the research is limited to the period from 2010 to 2012, since before 2010. The Republic Statistical Office has not kept separate records of this criminal act, but it is counted in the so-called 'other offenses'. During the processing of data on the number of entries, prosecuted or convicted of offenses of violent behavior at sports events used a statistical method. The results of empirical research, which covers the area of High public prosecutor and High Court in Nis, indicating mild penal policy towards the perpetrators of violence at sporting events, avoiding the application of criminal prosecution conditional delay institute. In addition, the possibility of being subjected to psychosocial treatment, in order to eliminate the causes of violent behavior, in general, does not exist. The court reprimand like the mildest sanction dominates in the range of sanctions imposed. Bearing in mind that the offense of violent behavior at sports events includes elements of violence, according to the perpetrators is expedient to react by imposing certain specific obligations, for example the inclusion of individual or group treatment in a health institution or counseling. Bearing in mind that one of the educational orders, by its content, is identical to the above mentioned special obligation, it is also possible to apply these measures sui generis to minors