Office for Kosovo and Metohija: Looted houses of the Serbs and a church in the hamlet of Bogosevce near Prizren

The residents of the hamlet of Bogosevce in Sredacka zupa near Prizren, during their recent stay in their hometown, on December 12, had found the gates and doors of several houses broken, and on that occasion, they had also noticed that their household appliances, wardrobe, and other items had been stolen. Also, the church of St. Nicholas, which dated back to the end of the 16th century, had been destroyed, according to the announcement of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

As pointed out in the announcement of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, during a tour of the village, the villagers had noticed that several houses of their neighbors had also been raided, and tampered with. According to them, this was already the fourth time that the homes of the residents of the hamlet of Bogosevac had been systematically and massively attacked and looted, and this time the miscreants had also ransacked the local church.

As the locals noticed and informed the Office for Kosovo and Metohija about it, the thieves had also broken the lock on the front door of the church of St. Nicholas, broke the glass of the icon frame, ransacked it, and taken the money that the religious people left on the icon.

The Office reminds that before the war, about a hundred Serbs lived in the hamlet of Bogosevace, who even today cannot be at peace when visiting the homes they had to leave, not willingly, as well as the sanctities that testify to their existence in these areas.

"Such incidents show and explain why the return rate of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is less than two percent and the lowest in a post-conflict area. In addition to daily intimidation and arrests, the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, face almost daily institutional, economic, and often physical violence by Pristina, for which, as usual, no one is responsible, nor are such incidents reported to the Kosovo Police, considering that their attitude towards the Serbs, and the impunity of miscreants, destroys all bridges of trust," the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said.