Zagreb woman sentenced to community service for retail thefts

A 37-year-old mother of five from Zagreb has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for a series of thefts committed in late 2022 and early 2023. The court has replaced the prison term with 600 hours of community service.

The defendant, an unemployed hairdresser, admitted to stealing perfumes from a Bipa store on Radnička Street and food items from a Lidl in Sesvete. She claimed she stole food to feed her children, while her partner, L. I., was responsible for the theft of high-value perfumes.

The woman is a survivor of a violent shooting in 2021, during which she was struck by eight bullets. She reported suffering permanent physical damage, including a non-functional arm and remaining bullet fragments in her body. Her partner, L. I., was sentenced to one year in prison with a five-year suspended sentence in a separate proceeding.