On 13 August 2003 four ethnic
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
were wounded and two killed as unknown assailants shot with automatic rifles at a group of mostly children who played and swam by a river in the village of
Goraždevac in
Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
.
Event
A large group of Serb children from the Serb enclave of Goraždevac, close to
Peja
Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the Peja's Lumbar ...
, gathered on the banks of the
river Bistrica. As the children played and swam in the river, automatic rifle shots were fired from the Albanian village of
Zahač. 19-year-old Ivan Jovović died instantly, while 13-year-old Pantelija Dakić later died in the hospital. 11-year old Marko Bogićević and 15-year-old Bogdan Bukumirović were seriously injured, while Dragana Srbljak and Đorđe Ugrenović suffered from minor injuries. The killings were reportedly timed to coincide with the return of over 200 Serb refugees into the town.
Aftermath
Two days after the attack,
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Živković attended the funeral service for the two killed teens, with the
Serbian government
The government of Serbia ( sr-cyrl, Влада Србије, Vlada Srbije), formally the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr-cyrl, Влада Републике Србије, Vlada Republike Srbije), commonly abbreviated to Serbian Governme ...
declaring 15 August a day of national mourning. Moreover, it was immediately condemned by the
(UNMIK),
Kosovo Force
The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO-led international NATO peacekeeping, peacekeeping force and military of Kosovo. KFOR is the third security responder, after the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law (European ...
(KFOR),
Kosovo Albanian officials, the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The perpetrators have still not been identified. In January 2013, during a period of unrest throughout Kosovo, a memorial to the victims was attacked by vandals.
See also
*
Gnjiane killings
*
Staro Gracko massacre
*
2004 unrest in Kosovo
*
List of unsolved murders
*
Anti-Serb sentiment
Anti-Serb sentiment or Serbophobia ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, србофобија, srbofobija, separator=" / ") is a generally negative view of Serbs as an ethnic group. Historically it has been a basis for the persecution of ethnic Serbs.
A distinctiv ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorazdevac murders
2003 crimes in Kosovo
2000s murders in Kosovo
2003 murders in Europe
August 2003 crimes in Europe
August 2003 in Europe
Anti-Serbian sentiment
Incidents of violence against boys
Massacres in Kosovo
Child murder in Kosovo
Persecution of Serbs
Unsolved murders in Europe
Violence against children
Peja