Kadic Trial Begins
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The Prosecution announced evidence to prove that as the member of the RBiH Army, Kadiæ raped Marta Vanovac on 27 June 1992.
According to the indictment, Kadic took the injured party out of the house to a nearby hill, telling her that he had to interrogate her, and upon his return he said to her mother-in-law: Here, I am bringing her back as I promised. Now I can also take away your cow and your other daughter-in-law, Sretanka.”
At the beginning of the trial, the Defence noted that Kadic has already been tried for this offence and that these proceedings were suspended.
Following the criminal report by Marta Vanovac, dated June 1992 the accused was tried before the Zenica District Military Court and subsequently before the Visoko Basic Court for the offence which was qualified as rape. The criminal proceedings were suspended in May 1997 after the Prosecution dropped charges, Sead Topcic, the Defence council for the accused, explained.
The Prosecution moved that the testimony of the injured party should be in the absence of the accused and closed for public, in order to avoid her suffering trauma and emotional stress again, and protect her personal and intimate life.
The Defence objected to this motion stating that there are no medical reasons to support it.
The accused and the injured party had known each other before. They were close and intimate. The truth is to a large extent different from the statements contained in the indictment, Topcic said.
The accused also objected to the motion for his exclusion during the testimony of the injured party.
I want her to look into my eyes when I ask her if we had been in a relationship, if it was her that showed me the spot and took her clothes off,” the accused Kadic stated.
The new hearing was scheduled for 11 April when a forensic psychiatrist will present the findings regarding the health condition of the injured party.
Psychological support will be provided to Marta Vanovac by a representative of Medica, an NGO from Zenica, with whom the Court and the Prosecutors Office signed a co-operation protocol. Dz.S.
