Mother of 13-year-old boy accused of killing Mario speaks publicly for first time: 'It's not my fault there's no law'
The mother of the 13-year-old boy from Cenai, accused of killing Mario, claims that she noticed nothing worrisome in her boy's behavior. “I can't imagine what happened,” said the woman, for Antena3, who adds that the family is “terrorized” by the outraged people after the discovery of the crime.
These are the first statements made by the mother of the 13-year-old child accused of murder, two weeks after the case that shocked public opinion.
“I didn't notice anything at all, the child was normal, he behaved normally, everything was ok. I didn't know (that he was taking drugs, n.ed.) and no one told me about such a thing. They didn't inform me even from the school, I didn't know if he was taking drugs or not,” said the mother of the 13-year-old boy, on Antena3.
The woman said that she was at work on the night of the crime.
“On Tuesday morning, the police called me that I had to come home. I was not given any information why I should come home. I knew absolutely nothing. I left work, I came home and when I got home I saw very, very many cars in the yard, in the house, everywhere. I kept asking, nothing was communicated to me, I did not know what was happening, I was not given any information. After that I went to Timișoara and only there I found out, after the child's statement was taken, everything it happened”, said the woman.
Asked if the child told her what happened, the woman said no.
“The child was taken, he was in a police car, I was in another car. We could not communicate with each other. I saw the child only at the police station, when his statement was taken, and there I found out what happened,” said the woman.
The woman also said that she did not refuse to cooperate with the authorities.
“I refused only on the first day, when they wanted to give him medication before the evaluation. They wanted to sedate him, without first doing the evaluations. They wanted to give him the medication before the evaluation. Then I refused admission,” the woman claimed.
“I don't know anything about him”
In the case of the crime in Cenei, two 15-year-old teenagers are arrested, but the 13-year-old boy was released, as minors under 14 are not criminally liable.
The child was taken over by the state, the parents being deprived of their rights. His mother stated that since she was deprived of parental rights, she no longer knows anything about her child.
“From Thursday evening, the Child Protection Department took him and they don't even know where the child is now,” the woman claimed.
“People jump on our heads”
The 13-year-old boy's mother also said the family has been living in “terror” since the murder was discovered.
“I'm afraid of people's revolt, because people jump on our heads, I have more than 500 threats on the phone, they threaten us, we are terrorized by people. Wherever I go I can't find peace,” the woman claimed.
“I'm afraid because people are very angry with us, they threaten us, they follow us. They follow us everywhere we go (…) I'm sorry for everything that happened. It's not my fault, I'm sincerely, sincerely sorry, what happened shouldn't have happened. It's not my fault that there is no law. I'm so sorry, I don't know what else to say,” the woman said.
The case of the crime from Cenei
The crime in Cenei took place in the evening of January 19, 2026. According to the prosecutors, the 15- and 13-year-old boys called Mario Berinde to the latter's house, telling him that they wanted to show him a new ATV.
He took his scooter and went to the meeting. Once there, the 15-year-old hit him with the axe, and the 13-year-old with the knife. They then called a third child, 15 years old, to help them get rid of the body.
They initially tried to set him on fire, then placed his body, naked, with his head wrapped in a jacket, in a pre-made pit in the garden of the 13-year-old boy's house. The crime was planned a month in advance, according to investigators.
