Memorial Service for murdered boys in Bistrica – Father of victim urges Kurti to reopen investigation

With a memorial service in the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, followed by prayers at the graves of the murdered boys, Ivan Jovovic and Panto Dakic, the 22nd anniversary of the crime committed against Serbian children on the Bistrica River was marked today in Gorazdevac.

On 13 August 2003, in a burst of gunfire directed at Serbian children swimming in the Bistrica, nineteen-year-old Ivan Jovovic and twelve-year-old Panto Dakic were killed, while Marko Bogicevic, Dragana Srbljak, Bogdan Bukumiric, and Đorđe Ugrenovic sustained serious injuries.

The perpetrators have never been brought to justice, and in 2010 UNMIK officially closed the investigation, citing insufficient evidence.

The memorial service in the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God was officiated by Bishop Ilarion of Novo Brdo, with the concelebration of clergy and monastics of the Raska–Prizren Diocese.

In his homily, Bishop Ilarion emphasized that, despite the tragedy, today in Gorazdevac life is being celebrated, stating that both Ivan and Panto are alive in God.

“Paradoxically, we celebrate life while gathered to commemorate the departed and the dead. We do so because we believe that all are alive in God, and that is why we are gathered here today — because in God, we are all alive. Ivan and Panto are alive in God, embraced in His mystery that also awaits us. From the perspective of this world, everything seems terrible and bleak — why a child should die in such a way, why there is no justice, why the perpetrator remains unknown, why this church cannot be freely restored — there are many ‘whys’ in this world. But when we look from the perspective of the sacred service, the Divine Liturgy, and the presence of Christ, the ‘why’ dissolves. When God is here with us, the questions fade. Nothing is needed but the sweetness and warmth of God’s embrace — and in that embrace, we are all one,” Bishop Ilarion said.

He stressed the need for faith — to see the Risen Christ and, in His embrace, Ivan and Panto.

“It is upon us, brothers and sisters, to heal the bitterness in our hearts, and however difficult and bitter life may be, to transform it by faith in the Risen Christ into goodness and sweetness, despite everything. Especially you, burdened by the pain that will ease only when you behold and embrace Ivan and Panto — especially you, parents, when you embrace the child you brought into this world — then the full comfort will come. Until then, we live by faith — faith that will be fulfilled in Christ’s presence in eternal love. But I ask you to set aside the burden of bitterness, injustice, and questions, and strive to see in all things the triumph of life. We are gathered because we believe in the triumph of life, in the coming Christ, in whose presence we shall all be eternal if we open our hearts to communion with Him,” the Bishop said.

He underlined that the only thing that endures eternally is the Church of God, which is indestructible.

“This is the lesson of Kosovo and Metohija — that only the Church remains, not by human power, but by the power of life itself, which cannot be destroyed. That is why it is blessed to remain here — yes, it is difficult, you do not have the privileges and opportunities that others enjoy elsewhere, but you have a special blessing,” he said.

Milisav Dakic, father of the slain Panto, called on Kosovo’s Prime Minister in a caretaker capacity, Albin Kurti, to reopen the investigation and find the killer.

“He should reopen the investigation and find the killer. He should know that family and children are sacred. He has children himself and should be aware of the pain I carry. Life and this world are vast, and anything can happen. That is why I urge him to reopen the investigation, to find the killers — only then can he be a prime minister for all the inhabitants of Kosovo,” Dakic said.

Mirjana Srbljak, mother of Dragana, who was wounded that day, said that although the day is sorrowful, in their family it is marked as a second birthday.

“Every time it is the same — everything takes us back to that day. It takes time for it to pass and for us to calm down, but otherwise nothing changes. Every year is the same, every day brings new events, and we barely know where we are — but still, we are here,” she said.

Recalling that day, she said they heard sirens and immediately ran towards the river.

“We heard sirens and screams, and we all ran towards the river because we knew the children had gone there. That’s how we found out — we saw the slaughter,” she said.

Srbljak stated that the tragedy left a painful mark on Gorazdevac.

“We believed it would get better, but nothing… nothing has improved. Our children still leave; they graduate from university but have no jobs. We believed life here would be much better, because Gorazdevac has so much youth, so many schoolchildren and families. Unfortunately, those hopes are slowly dying,” she said, adding that she does not expect the crime to be solved.

“I went to court hearings ten times. It is absurd to believe — everything they take into their own hands, you can imagine how it will end. It will never be solved, just like so many other things,” she said.

The memorial was attended on behalf of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija by Malinka Mitrovic, who laid a wreath at the monument to those killed in the NATO aggression and to the children murdered in Bistrica.

Mitrovic noted that the tragic event in Gorazdevac left a deep mark in the memory of all.

“Unfortunately, what we can say is that the investigation yielded no results, the perpetrators were not found, and what is worse, EULEX closed the investigation back in 2010, allegedly due to lack of evidence. This tragic event has left a deep mark in all our memories, and it will certainly remain a symbol of the suffering of Serbs in that period,” Mitrovic said.

She stressed that today in Gorazdevac, tribute is being paid to the innocent children who were killed, and support is being extended to their families.

“We are here to tell them they are not alone, that they are not forgotten — because the pain and sorrow they have felt all these years is also our pain. We would like, in some way, to ease it, to share it. And as long as we remember our victims, they will live with us. This is why Serbs must not allow the memory of every victim to fade — for the sake of the victims and their families, and for the future of the Serbian people,” she stated.

She added that the crime in Gorazdevac is one of the deepest Serbian wounds and one of the greatest failures of the international community.

“This is why it remains a lasting warning to the international community until the perpetrators are found and brought to justice,” Mitrovic concluded.

Yesterday, the memorial indoor football tournament “In Memory of Ivan and Panto” dedicated to the two murdered boys from the village, commenced in Gorazdevac.