On Friday, the Bishop of Bjelovar-Križevci, Vjekoslav Huzjak, went hunting and wounded another member of the hunting party. The police have filed criminal charges against him for the criminal offence of endangering life and property by a dangerous act or means, reports Večernji List on January 15, 2019.
The hunting accident occurred on Friday morning at the Kraljeva Velika hunting site, in the area of Lipovljani. Bishop Huzjak (58), who is known to be a passionate hunter, participated in an organised and officially sanctioned hunt. According to a police statement about the incident, which did not identify the bishop, he and another hunter were some 90 metres from each other. At one point, the bishop fired a shot from his hunting carabine trying to hit a wild boar, but missed and instead hit the 64-year-old hunter in a thigh.
The wounded hunter was provided with medical assistance at the Dubrava Clinical Hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe bodily injuries that are not life-threatening. It was established that the bishop was not under the influence of alcohol. The police took the weapon which he used during the hunt.
Because of the criminal offence, criminal charges will be filed with the Sisak Municipal Prosecutor’s Office.
Zvonimir Ancić, the spokesperson of the Croatian Bishop’s Conference, confirmed that the incident had taken place.
After the news of an incident was published on the internet, the Bjelovar-Križevci Diocese said that the bishop was sorry about what happened and wished a quick recovery to the injured hunter.
“Bishop Vjekoslav Huzjak participated on Friday in a hunt where the incident took place. The competent state bodies are carrying out the legally prescribed procedure at the end of which we will issue another statement. The bishop expresses his deep regret over everything that has happened and wishes a quick recovery to the injured hunter,” the Bjelovar-Križevci Diocese said in the statement.
More news on the Catholic Church in Croatia can be found in the Lifestyle section.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Danijel Prerad, Darko Pavičić).
