Croat charged with Ovčara graffiti incident

The Vukovar prosecution has filed charges against a man for writing graffiti on the Ovčara memorial.

Izvor: B92

Friday, 08.08.2008.

14:00

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The Vukovar prosecution has filed charges against a man for writing graffiti on the Ovcara memorial. Davor Radelic is suspected of writing “This is Serbia” on the memorial. Croat charged with Ovcara graffiti incident However, to the great surprise of locals, Radelic is actually a Croat. The public outcry subsided after Radelic, 44, from Sivica close to Slavonski Brod, was arrested. After writing the graffiti, he rode around Ovcara on his bike for two days before police reacted to a tip-off from a member of the public. At the time of his arrest he had a Croatian flag in his possession, as well as a porcelain cross, and a dozen or so various prayer crowns that had all gone missing from Ovcara. With his lawyer present, Radelic confessed to writing the graffiti, and he even showed police the place where he had thrown the black marker that he had used. He admitted that his sole motive had been to draw attention to himself. And, as numerous local politicians and public figures blasted members of the local Serb community for the act, accusing them of intolerance and refusal to accept the co-existence of Croats and Serbs in Vukovar, it came to light that the individual responsible for desecrating the Ovcara memorial was not only a Croat himself, but even a war veteran. This awkward situation was closed yesterday, when the suspect was officially charged with bringing the good name of the Republic of Croatia into disrepute. Vukovar District Court Magistrate Nikola Besenski explained why Radelic would not be granted bail. “The defendant has not registered his place of residence for the last nine years, and he has not lived at his last reported address, as registered back in 1981, for 15 years,” Besenski said. Radelic could be remanded in custody until the verdict comes into force, which means at least six months, given the time necessary for court procedure and appeals. Vukovar Mayor Zdenka Buljan said that this case would not undermine the town’s efforts to restore confidence and reconciliation between the Croat and Serb communities.

Croat charged with Ovčara graffiti incident

However, to the great surprise of locals, Radelić is actually a Croat. The public outcry subsided after Radelić, 44, from Šivica close to Slavonski Brod, was arrested.

After writing the graffiti, he rode around Ovčara on his bike for two days before police reacted to a tip-off from a member of the public.

At the time of his arrest he had a Croatian flag in his possession, as well as a porcelain cross, and a dozen or so various prayer crowns that had all gone missing from Ovčara.

With his lawyer present, Radelić confessed to writing the graffiti, and he even showed police the place where he had thrown the black marker that he had used.

He admitted that his sole motive had been to draw attention to himself.

And, as numerous local politicians and public figures blasted members of the local Serb community for the act, accusing them of intolerance and refusal to accept the co-existence of Croats and Serbs in Vukovar, it came to light that the individual responsible for desecrating the Ovčara memorial was not only a Croat himself, but even a war veteran.

This awkward situation was closed yesterday, when the suspect was officially charged with bringing the good name of the Republic of Croatia into disrepute.

Vukovar District Court Magistrate Nikola Bešenski explained why Radelić would not be granted bail.

“The defendant has not registered his place of residence for the last nine years, and he has not lived at his last reported address, as registered back in 1981, for 15 years,” Bešenski said.

Radelić could be remanded in custody until the verdict comes into force, which means at least six months, given the time necessary for court procedure and appeals.

Vukovar Mayor Zdenka Buljan said that this case would not undermine the town’s efforts to restore confidence and reconciliation between the Croat and Serb communities.

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