dr. sc. Zilha Mastalić Košuta from the Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law of the University of Sarajevo explained to the portal "Avaza" that the figure of 1,601 children killed in Sarajevo was first mentioned in 1996 in the report of the Institute for Health Protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Let us remind you that an avalanche of violent reactions was caused by the text of psychologist Srđan Puhalo from Banja Luka, who said that he would give 10,000 KM to anyone who could prove to him that 1,601 children were killed in Sarajevo.
"Crimes against children of Sarajevo under siege"
- In the periodical reports of the Republican Headquarters for Health of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the most meritorious institution for monitoring the health and mortality of the population, the figures on the suffering of the population in the areas under the control of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina were highlighted.
In the Report from 1996, the Institute for Health Protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina stated that 1,601 children were killed in Sarajevo during the siege, while 14,946 children were wounded. The data on 1,601 murdered children that are officially used are taken from this Report - Zilha Mastalić Košuta tells "Avaz".
In 2010, the UNSA Institute for Research on Crimes against Humanity and International Law published a scientific study entitled "Crimes against the children of Sarajevo under siege".
- In that study, preliminary data on 524 murdered children were presented. This study included those children for whom the authors obtained parental consent to be included in the study and for whom they had complete documentation.
1. birth certificate;
2. death certificate;
3. death certificate and medical documentation,
4. burial documentation, etc.).
Incomplete data
Research has continued, but a major problem is the fact that a certain number of parents do not agree with their children being included in the study, or due to the unavailability of parents and next of kin and the inability to complete complete data on the murdered child according to the criteria required by the Institute as a scientific institution - explained to "Avaz" dr. sc. Zilha Mastalić Košuta.
Source: Avaz.ba