23 years since terrorist attack on Serbian children in Goraždevac, crime still unsolved

On August 13, 2003, a group of Serbian children and young people was fired upon at an improvised beach on the Bistrica River, which runs through the village. The attack was believed to have come from the direction of the nearby Albanian village of Zahač.

According to UNMIK data, 87 rounds were fired. Ivan Jovović (18) and Pantelija Dakić (12) were killed. Jovović was killed during the attack, while Dakić later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Four others were wounded: Djordje Ugrenović (20), Bogdan Bukumirić (14), Marko Bogićević (12) and Dragana Srbljak (13).

Marko Bogićević and Bogdan Bukumirić suffered serious injuries, while Dragana Srbljak and Djordje Ugrenović sustained less severe wounds. It was extremely hot that day, so a group of 28 young Serbs from Goraždevac had gathered at the improvised beach on the Bistrica River or were in the water.

Following the attack, UNMIK investigators said that an unknown number of individuals had opened automatic fire from Kalashnikov rifles on the group of Serbian children and young people from Goraždevac, firing 87 rounds.

Later, theories emerged that the killings may have been connected to plans for the return of around 200 displaced Serbs to the Peć area.

Following the terrorist attack, the crime in Goraždevac was officially condemned by the then heads of UNMIK and KFOR, representatives of the EU, as well as the United States, France and Russia, and even representatives of the provisional authorities in Pristina.

The Serbian authorities requested a meeting of the UN Security Council. UNMIK police representatives said at the time that they would “turn over every stone” to find the perpetrator or perpetrators.

A reward of one million euros was offered for information about the crime. Up to 75 witnesses were questioned, while approximately 100 houses were searched by UNMIK police or KFOR forces.

The investigation, however, officially yielded no results. In 2010, EULEX formally halted further investigations, while noting that the case could be reopened at any time if new information emerged.

The authorities in Pristina officially abandoned the investigation in 2015. According to the 1981 census, Goraždevac had 1,440 residents, of whom 72 percent were Serbs.

According to the 2011 census, Goraždevac had 570 residents, including 255 Serbs, or 44 percent. Serbs in Goraždevac have been victims of attacks on several occasions, not only in August 2003. The monument to the victims of the 2003 terrorist attack was also targeted by vandals.