massacre massacre killing civilians serbian paramilitary unit croatia december croatian war independence massacre carried unit ordered abandon village recaptured area operation unit generally targeted living village killed civilian tried protect victims killed gunfire killed axes burned death victims exhibited signs torture left night december unit demolished year old church village explosives secured night december population having left previous night croatian soldiers homes belonging serbs inhabited village area toured congressman shortly publicised killings news conference held day deeming genocide persuaded associate clinical professor investigation killings yugoslavia later charged killings non serbs ruled massacre example genocide stated croatia failed prove killings occurred background yugoslav campaign croatia 5th tasked advancing north western secondary drive task essentially consistent line expected reached main thrust advancing eastern week designed facilitate advance west stopped units took positions north near support supported serbian deploying village october control visited following month population according surviving residents local serbs population reduced late prior war ethnic serbs formed eighty percent village population october launched operation positions held near operation positions south aiming exploit success operation recapture area croatian forces renamed november launched operation november killings began advancing area located approximately kilometres miles west december forced retreat area turn abandon ordered prisoners instructed ensure evacuation population refused leave threatened man killed home killing civilians living nearby smaller villages began december noon infantry supported tank moved bombing owned houses killing civilians killings destruction took hours claimed lives civilians bodies victims mutilated left display presumably warning outside flee victims civilians year old reported tried protect neighbours victims elderly including women aged men aged killed tortured beaten chains burned victims killed cause death proved hard establish victims bodies severely burned couple bound chains burned alive women killed axes similar sharp objects axe blows head couple beheaded heads placed bags victims cut chain saw alive died trapped house civilian attempted protect beaten tortured cigarettes heated chains demolished roman catholic church pilgrimage year old structure ammunition depot wake explosion single wall structure remained standing estimated tons explosives purpose time approximately inhabitants villages south reportedly killed aftermath captured night december village population having withdrawn night croatian soldiers homes belonged serbs inhabited village arrive village following capture congressman croatia fact finding mission asked aide arrange press conference day persuaded associate clinical professor sent croatia investigate alleged use chemical weapons investigation killings conference called killings genocide cnn reporter refused attend press conference network reports killings according interested event involvement announced victims bodies taken nearby town forensic examination december contacted croatian authorities obtained permission document victims denied access authorities croatian defence minister asking intervene behalf local police allegedly special police deployed enforce order cooperate causing armed clash issue settle matters team sent perform retrieve bodies perform rest procedures survivors took shelter captured member paramilitary forces later testified killings identified perpetrators addition withdrawing left critical evidence including personnel records confirming force associated investigator yugoslavia information interview witness linking president serbia killings charged deaths civilians subsequently arrested tried died trial completed charged involvement forced non civilians august trial progress march croatia alleged massacre larger campaign genocide targeting population ruled forces committed genocide croatia stated croatian legal team failed prove mass killing taken place
Voćin massacre