24 November 2006
News
Samardzic: Testimonies of Raped Girls
BIRN BiHRe-trial continues, as Appellate Council reviews claims the indictee was a rapist.
Audio records of testimonies given by protected witnesses at Nedjo Samardzic’s first hearing were today played in the Court of BiH.
According to the statements of two witnesses, Samardzic had raped them in 1992 in the Foca municipality.
One of the girls decribed how, in May 1992, Nedjo Samardzic came to her house, accompanied by a few soldiers.
“He ordered me to take off my clothes. I refused to and he ripped off my clothes. Then he raped me. I was screaming”, the protected witness said.
She went on, recounting that, immediately after he raped her, Samardzic left the house, but soon came back and took her and her mother to the Miljevina motel, where they found “a lot of girls and women”.
“Then Nedjo beat me and raped me twice”, she said.
After the Miljevina motel, the protected witness testified that she was taken to the Partizan Hall in Foca which, in the summer of 1992, served as a detainment centre. There, she said she was again abused by Samardzic, before being transferred with a group of girls to Montenegro, and then to Turkey.
Detainment and abuse of this protected witness were described in the fifth of the ten counts of the amended indictment against Samardzic.
The second testimony played was that of another protected witness, who also described multiple abuses by Samardzic and his brother Zoran.
“Nedjo pulled my hair and made me eat it”, the witness claimed.
Describing another event, she said that the indictee came one night to her house in Foca, tied her to a pole, took her clothes off and cut her all over her body.
This event did not mark the end of her abuse.Fifteen days later, she was taken to the Partizan Hall where she was raped again. She became pregnant as a consequence of these repeated rapes, and after being released, had an abortion at six months.
Both the witness testimonies played had confirmed counts of the indictment accusing Samardzic of having raped and abducted a 12-year-old girl, whose destiny is still unknown.
The first instance verdict, sentencing Samardzic to 13 years and four months in prison, was quashed in October of this year.
The re-trial will continue on November 24, 2006.
According to the statements of two witnesses, Samardzic had raped them in 1992 in the Foca municipality.
One of the girls decribed how, in May 1992, Nedjo Samardzic came to her house, accompanied by a few soldiers.
“He ordered me to take off my clothes. I refused to and he ripped off my clothes. Then he raped me. I was screaming”, the protected witness said.
She went on, recounting that, immediately after he raped her, Samardzic left the house, but soon came back and took her and her mother to the Miljevina motel, where they found “a lot of girls and women”.
“Then Nedjo beat me and raped me twice”, she said.
After the Miljevina motel, the protected witness testified that she was taken to the Partizan Hall in Foca which, in the summer of 1992, served as a detainment centre. There, she said she was again abused by Samardzic, before being transferred with a group of girls to Montenegro, and then to Turkey.
Detainment and abuse of this protected witness were described in the fifth of the ten counts of the amended indictment against Samardzic.
The second testimony played was that of another protected witness, who also described multiple abuses by Samardzic and his brother Zoran.
“Nedjo pulled my hair and made me eat it”, the witness claimed.
Describing another event, she said that the indictee came one night to her house in Foca, tied her to a pole, took her clothes off and cut her all over her body.
This event did not mark the end of her abuse.Fifteen days later, she was taken to the Partizan Hall where she was raped again. She became pregnant as a consequence of these repeated rapes, and after being released, had an abortion at six months.
Both the witness testimonies played had confirmed counts of the indictment accusing Samardzic of having raped and abducted a 12-year-old girl, whose destiny is still unknown.
The first instance verdict, sentencing Samardzic to 13 years and four months in prison, was quashed in October of this year.
The re-trial will continue on November 24, 2006.
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