Bosnian Serb Ex-Policeman Jailed for Wartime Rape

The appeals chamber of the Bosnian state court on Thursday found Dragan Janjic guilty, in his capacity as a former police officer, of hitting and then raping a woman at the police station in Miljevina in the Foca municipality during the war in August 1992.

Under the verdict, Janjic was sentenced to seven years in jail and is obliged to pay 15,000 Bosniak marks (around 7,670 euros) to the victim in compensation.

“The chamber determined that the defendant was guilty on the basis of convincing, credible and concise testimony by [the victim],” said presiding judge Dragomir Vukoje.

“As regards the crime, at no point did she bring the defendant’s identity into question,” Vukoje added.

The judge said that the court had determined that the offence was a crime against humanity, and that there had been a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population in the area which Janjic knew about, and that his crime had formed a part of that attack.

The original verdict handed down in October last year also sentenced Janjic to seven years in prison for rape and assault.

But the defence appealed, claiming that there had been substantial violations during the criminal proceedings and that the facts of the case had been incorrectly determined.

Thursday’s verdict cannot be appealed.