Jun 29, 2008 8:10 pm US/Eastern
Progress Made In Bringing Serbian Fugitive Back
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
-
-
"Is this a done deal? No. But for the first time do we have cooperation from the new government that's professed to our ambassador? Yes," said Sen. Schumer. (File)
AP
Sen. Schumer said that progress is being made, in the effort to bring Bryan Steinhauer's accused attacker to justice.
Nearly two months ago, Binghamton University student Steinhauer was viciously attacked in a Binghamton bar. The 22-year-old is currently in a coma. Police arrested fellow Binghamton University student Miladin Kovacevic, a basketball player 15 inches taller than Steinhauer.
After posting bail, Kovacevic fled the country on an emergency passport granted by the Serbian Consulate.
"We are devastated at the brutality and savagery of the beating that our son Bryan was the victim of," said father Richard Steinhauer.
"It was a brutal beating," added Sen. Schumer. "There is zero, absolutely no excuse for what happened, period."
Sen. Schumer has known the Steinhauer family for years. On Sunday, he said the U.S. ambassador in Belgrade told him that officials from Serbia's new government are pledging to do whatever they can to extradite Kovacevic back to New York.
"Is this a done deal? No. But for the first time do we have cooperation from the new government that's professed to our ambassador? Yes," said Sen. Schumer.
Sen. Schumer is also pressing for the diplomat who issued Kovacevic's emergency passport to be punished.
The Counsel General of Serbia apologized today for the way this incident was handled.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Top Secret: Military Jets
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments