A six-and-a-half-year-old boy in first grade was physically attacked, undressed and filmed with a smartwatch in the gym locker room of a primary school in Kochani. It was done by several other minors, older than him. The case was reported by his father, a 42-year-old from Kochani, to the Kochani police on September 24 at 12:45 pm.

The Interior Ministry has confirmed the case. The competent public prosecutor and the Center for Social Work have been notified. Who exactly took part, what went on in the locker room and how it came to that are things the authorities have yet to establish.

The reactions on social media haven't stopped. Parents are asking where the class teacher was, whether smart devices in the hands of the youngest children are part of the problem, and whether fines for the parents of children who bully mean anything at all. Some comments went further, calling for reform schools and urging parents to "take justice into their own hands." The anger is understandable. Taking justice into your own hands is not the answer.

But one question is entirely legitimate and must not get lost in the noise: how does a six-year-old end up unsupervised in a school locker room long enough to be attacked, undressed and filmed? First graders are only just getting used to school. Responsibility for their safety inside a school building doesn't lie with other children. It lies with the adults and with the institution.

The perpetrators are minors, so any measures will depend on their age and on the facts established. That's as it should be. But the process also has to answer the second question: what was the school doing? Was there a teacher on duty in the gym? Did any staff member notice anything before the father went to the police?

Those answers will decide whether this case ends up as just another headline - or as the reason something in schools finally changes.