SAD ANNIVERSARY On this day in WWII Ustasha criminals burnt women and children alive in Ljubljenica

SAD ANNIVERSARY On this day in WWII Ustasha criminals burnt women and children alive in Ljubljenica

On this day in 1941, Ustashas in a bestial act burnt women and children alive in a stable in the village of Ljubljenica in Berkovici municipality. It was the orthodox holiday of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

Milenko Jahura, the head of the Serb Ethnic Society Prebilovci, says that on that horrible day, members of the Vukosav family - Cvijeta, Dara, Slavko, aged 15, Stoja, 10, Nasta, Cvija, Danica, Slavko, 8, and Andjelko, 8, were burnt to death.

Of the Gelo family, burnt alive were Petra, Andja, Ljubica, 4, Mara, Milenko, 8, Milenka, 6, Ljubica, 2, Danica, Branko, 15, Milenko, 12, Andja, 2, Vlado, 12, and Boro, 10.

The only one who managed to jump out of the burning fire and run away was nine-year-old Slavojka Vukosav.

Their Croat and Muslim neighbours forced them out of their homes, telling them they were 'moving to Serbia' and pushed them into the stable of the Gelo family, while beating them with bats.

"They locked them all up in there. The stable's roof was made of straw and the criminals threw in some more straw. Outside the door stood the criminals carrying iron hay-forks. They used them to throw the burning humans who were jumping out of the fire back into the stable," recounts Jahura.

One girl was raped first. Slavojka's brother, who jumped out of the stable, was thrown back into the flames.

Spasenija Gelo survived the ordeal but soon after su?umbed to her wounds.

The crime was committed by Ustashas, the victims' neighbours. The act was carried out by Baldo Boskovic - Krakic, Smajo Rizvanovic, Stojan Maslac, Hasan Bajgoric aka Hodza, Bozo Papac and others.

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