Witness Denies Milovanovic Rape Accusations

A Bijeljina district prosecution witness testifying at the Radosav Milovanovic trial said the injured party told her the defendant had raped her, but didn’t believe her.

The district prosecution in Bijeljina has charged Radosav Milovanovic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb Army, with the rape of a woman in Sase in May 1992. He allegedly threatened to kill her if she told anyone about her rape.

Witness Spasenija Kirbl told the courtroom that in Banja Luka in 1996, the injured party told her that she had been raped. Kirbl said she didn’t believe her.

“At that time she [the injured party] told me that following the murder of her husband, Radosav [Milovanovic] offered to help her and bring her coffee, sugar and anything else she needed. Radosav visited her at her place and once he came with a knife in his hand. Then he raped her and threatened her not to tell anyone,” Kirbl said.

Kirbl said she no longer wanted to be in contact with the injured party following their first meeting, because she didn’t believe that Radosav Milovanovic had raped her.

“He isn’t a bad man and the injured party talks a lot,” Kirbl said.

The trial will continue at the end of July this year, depending on availability of the next witnesses.