Witness Describes Sexual Abuse at Milovanovic Trial

Radosav Milovanovic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with the rape of a woman in Sase in May 1992. He allegedly threatened the victim with a knife, and said he would kill her if she told anyone.

Eldina Karic, a witness for the district prosecution of Bijeljina, said she was captured at the age of 15 in her hometown of Lastovo in the vicinity of Srebrenica in 1992. She was then taken to the Sase Mine directorate building, where she spent about 15 days in detention.

Karic said during that period of time she and other prisoners were forced to perform tasks such as cleaning destroyed buildings.

“While we were collecting broken glass in the corridor of a building across the street from the health center in Sase, Milovanovic came out of a room, pointed at me and ordered me to enter in order to clean something. As soon as I entered the room, I realized it was an office. He slammed the door. He slapped my face, making me almost fall down. He then grabbed me and began squeezing me against him. He began touching my breasts and kissing me on my neck, below the ear,” Karic said.

According Karic, Milovanovic then tried to take her shirt off.

“I started to scream and resist. At that moment commander Todorovic entered the room, shouted at him and ordered me to leave. Then he slammed the door. I can’t describe how I felt. I couldn’t believe a man whose daughters are older than me could do such a thing,” Karic said.

Karic said she knew Milovanovic from before the war. She said she was neighbours with his family.  

The trial will continue on June 8.