CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINOLOGY ASPECTS OF VIOLENCE AT SPORTS EVENTS

Violence at sporting events is a serious social problem at the global level. The paper points to violence as an illegal behavior in today's modern civilized society, as well as to a specific form of violence based on the place and time of execution, to violence in sports. Sports halls and stadiums often become the scene of opposing sports clubs and fan groups, which leads to the progression and expansion of violence at sports events. Violence in sports then takes the form of criminality. The criminological aspect of the work refers to the etiological factors and causes that lead to the violent behavior of athletes and fans at sports events. The Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia criminalizes violent behavior at a sports event or public gathering. This criminal act protects public order and peace, the safety of spectators (fans) and players. The paper contains an overview and analysis of criminal law decisions and provisions that regulate protection against violent behavior at sports events or public gatherings in the Republic of Serbia. In the paper, the author presented the state and trend of violent behavior at sports events or public gatherings in relation to reported, accused and convicted persons in the last five-year period. In accordance with the analyzed legal regulations and judicial practice, in the final deliberations, de lege ferenda proposals were given in order to prevent and suppress violence in sports and violent behavior at sports events and public gatherings.