Her own mother had warned social services months earlier that she couldn't care for herself, let alone a child. Nobody acted on it in time.
Denis Pašić, a 3-year-old boy in Pula, Croatia, was killed by his mother, Chiara Rojnić, on May 23, 2017. His death exposed serious failures in how the city's social welfare system had handled warnings about the family in the months beforehand.
Warnings That Went Unheeded
In the months before Denis's death, Chiara's own mother and half-sister had told Pula's Centre for Social Welfare that Chiara was struggling and unable to properly care for herself or her son, according to later reporting. Chiara was reportedly in the process of having her legal capacity formally reviewed at the time. A subsequent investigation by a Croatian social workers' union found that the center had committed serious failures in assessing the risk to Denis and in failing to take any family protection measures for him or his half-sister.
What Happened
On the evening of May 23, 2017, Chiara, with the help of a 14-year-old girl who had left a nearby youth care facility, killed Denis. That same evening, she reported him missing to police, claiming he had wandered off while playing in a nearby garden around 6:30 p.m. Investigators quickly found inconsistencies in her account, and she eventually confessed. The next morning, she led police to the location where Denis's body had been left, near the shoreline.
An autopsy confirmed he had been suffocated. Given his age, we won't detail the specific circumstances further here.
Trial and Sentencing
Chiara and her teenage accomplice were both charged. In April 2018, Chiara was convicted and sentenced to 33 years in prison, along with two years of mandatory psychological treatment. Her accomplice, a minor at the time of the crime, was sentenced to three years in a youth detention facility. Croatia's Supreme Court later upheld the sentence on appeal, describing the crime as marked by significant premeditation and cruelty, and rejecting Chiara's challenge to the ruling as without merit. Under Croatian law, she has no further avenue of appeal.
A Father's Grief
Denis's father, Rešid Pašić, has spoken publicly in the years since about the weight of the loss, saying he thinks of his son every night and finds it difficult to visit his grave. He's said that despite everything, he doesn't hold personal hatred toward Chiara, leaving judgment to a higher power. Reports have also indicated Chiara attempted suicide multiple times while incarcerated in the years following her conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Could Denis's death have been prevented?
Possibly. Family members had reportedly warned Pula's social welfare center about concerns for the family's wellbeing before the murder, and a subsequent review found the center had made serious failures in assessing risk and failing to act.
What sentence did Chiara Rojnić receive?
33 years in prison plus two years of mandatory psychological treatment, upheld on appeal by Croatia's Supreme Court.
Was anyone else involved?
Yes. A 14-year-old girl assisted in the killing and was sentenced separately to three years in a youth detention facility.