title: Massacre over civilians during the war in Croatia.
abstract: The 1991-1995 War for independence of Croatia was a cruel armed conflict, provoked by the conquering aspirations of the "Yugoslav Federal Army" under Serbian command and Serbian terrorists. It took place on the territory of the Republic of Croatia and gave rise to a mass destruction of civilian and sacral buildings and civilian massacres. Here we present three representative cases as an example of the massacre over civilians that happened in the vicinity of Vrhovine, in northwestern Croatia. Seven civilians were taken from their homes in the village of Dabar, exposed to unprecedented, savage torture and cruel execution. Forensic medicine experts revealed that victims were beaten with blunt objects, probably the butt end of rifles or high boots, stabbed with sharp objects as they were dying, and finally killed by gunshots. Their dead bodies were mutilated by cutting auricles and exposed to post-mortem humiliation. Events at Vrhovine have all the characteristics of crimes against humanity and inapprehensible breaches of the Geneva Convention at the very end of 20th century.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia. alanbosnar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosnar
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stemberga
authors.forename: Drazen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cuculić
authors.forename: Miran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coklo
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cućić
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dobi-Babić
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014104:Torture; D014858:War Crimes; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000473:pathology*