Prosecutor Dismisses Rape Complaint Against Famous Serbian Actor

The High Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade told BIRN on Tuesday that it has dismissed the criminal complaint against famous actor Branislav Lecic, who was accused of rape by actress Danijela Stajnfeld.

The Prosecutor's Office told BIRN that Stajnfeld's criminal complaint was dismissed "because there are no grounds for suspicion that the said criminal offense was committed".

It said that both Steinfeld and Lekic had been questioned, and that prosecutors had viewed Steinfeld's 2020 documentary 'Hold Me Right', in which she said she had been raped by powerful man from the film industry had raped her, although she did not name him.

"During the pre-investigation procedure, interviews were conducted with Danijela Steinfeld and the accused, Branislav Lecic, a copy of the documentary 'Hold Me Right' by Danijela Steinfeld was obtained, and a CD containing the original voice of the person from the film, [as well as] medical documentation on Danijela Steinfeld's treatment, and interviews were also conducted with a number of people who could possibly have indirect information about the disputed event, given that there were no direct eyewitnesses," the Prosecutor's Office said.

It also said it had assessed a submission from Merima Isakovic, a famous Yugoslav-era actress who told news magazine Nedeljnik that Lecic sexually assaulted her in 1978, when she was 18 years old. Lecic also denied this.

"After gathering the necessary information and obtaining all relevant evidence in the pre-investigation process… it was determined that there was no lawful evidence with a degree of grounds for suspicion that would confirm the allegations," the Prosecutor's Office added.

On March 22, investigative website Insajder published an audio...