Vlahovic: A Girl’s Scream

Witnesses S17 and S39, a married couple, who lived in Grbavica with their three-year old son, said that four uniformed persons, including indictee Vlahovic, knocked on their door on May 23, 1992.

Witness S39 said that he was taken to a building in the vicinity of “a food market” in Grbavica for examination. He said that a man, who had a Montenegrin accent, asked him “what political party I belong to”. The witness told the Court that, when he said that he was member of the Communist Party, the man hit him. Indictee Vlahovic entered the room some time later.

“He put a bayonet on my stomach. He said that he would cut me like fish,” the witness said.

Protected witness S39 said that Vlahovic, who was accompanied by three other persons, took him to a house in Vraca, where he saw a dead 30-year old person. “Batko ordered me to rape her. I stood on the doorstep and kept quiet. Batko then told me to approach him, adding that he would slaughter me, but he did not do anything,” the witness said.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Veselin Vlahovic, known as Batko, with having killed and participated in the murder of more than 30 persons in Grbavica, Vraca and Kovacici area from May to August 1992 and, acting on his own or in collaboration with other armed persons, abused and beat Croat and Bosniak citizens and confiscated their money and other valuable belongings.

A second indictment was filed against Vlahovic, charging him in 14 counts with the murder and forcible disappearances of 14 persons, as well as rape, torture and abuse of civilians.

Witness S39 told the Court that he was taken back to a demolished shop in the vicinity of “the food market” in Grbavica on that same day, adding that, while he was standing there, he saw indictee Vlahovic taking his acquaintance Omer inside the demolished shop. He said that the men never came out.

“Some time later a girl, who was aged about 20, came by. She introduced herself. She had a Muslim name. I cannot remember the name, but Batko then took her to the shop and raped her,” the witness said, adding that he was turned away, but he could hear “the girl’s scream”.

During the course of her testimony protected witness S17 said that Batko came to her apartment in May 1992 and took her husband away. She said that he came again, accompanied by two other men, on that same day and tried to rape her in front of her three-year old child.

“He took me to another room, while my son was crying. Batko took his penis out and ordered me to put it in my mouth. I wanted to jump through the window. I begged him not to do it in front of my child,” the witness said.

Witness S17 said that the two men, who accompanied Vlahovic, told him to stop. Then they left, but they said that they would come back and take her to Lukavica.

“I hid with my child at a neighbour’s. When they came again, they did not find me,” witness S17 said.

The next hearing is due to be held on October 17, 2011.