Three children. A single park in Gjorče Petrov. And three video clips that filled social media within hours, with a question the system has no ready answer to: where were the adults?

The case has shaken Skopje over the past few days. A sixth-grader - a child of 11 or 12 - was twice physically attacked by three older girls. Hit, dragged by the hair, thrown to the ground. Burned on the body with cigarettes. Forced into humiliations that are hard to describe. All of it filmed on a phone. All of it watched, liked, forwarded. With a "selfie" at the end - the attackers smiling, the victim with blood on her mouth.

The incident took place on March 27 and 30. Reported to police on April 7. The Interior Ministry confirmed that "on two occasions a minor girl was physically attacked by several minors from the same school" and that "in coordination with the Public Prosecutor's Office, measures are being taken." Meaning: three weeks went by. The videos existed. At least a dozen children were present. Some filmed instead of helping.

Systemic symptoms, not just bad kids

The reactions from the professional community weren't soft. Tatjana Aleksić, a teacher with long experience, said publicly: "We are systematically shaping generations of psychopaths." Strong wording - but not frivolous. The question isn't just "who are these kids" but "where are we teaching them to react like this."

The debate on social media mixes two parallel conversations. One is about the parents - "do parents know what their kids do at home?" The other is about the system - about the absence of psychological support in schools, about social services that arrive after the fact, about protocols that exist on paper but not in practice.

This isn't just about three girls and their victim. It's about the fact that at least a dozen children stood and watched - and not one said "stop," not one went for an adult. That the videos circulated faster than any institutional response.

The teacher demanded systemic measures. That's not new either.

In statements on the case, the teacher who went public called for drug testing in schools and a ban on social media inside school spaces. Proposals we hear after every incident like this - and which, as a rule, end up in a drawer once media interest fades.

Ministries and institutions will issue statements. Meetings will be held. "Measures" will be mentioned. Then the next clip comes. Peer violence didn't start today - the videos just made visible what many refuse to see.

The victim is a child. The attackers are children. And all of them, in their own way, are the product of a system that only looks at children once the problem goes viral.