The Kingdom of serbia : report upon the atrocities committed by the Austro-Hungarian Army during the first invasion of Serbia

MASSACRES OF CIVILIANS 83

Bastava

Mileva Soldatovitch, aged 40, deposes that all the women and children of the village had fled to the Tile-works when the Austrians came. Only the two women Soldatovitch, who were invalids, remained behind in the belief that owing to their infirmity they would be in no danger. The Austrian soldiers killed them and cut off their breasts. This was done in their own house. One was found lying in her bed, the other behind the door. Besides having had their breasts cut off, the two women bore marks of many bayonet thrusts and their arms had been broken. The breasts were not found. (There is a slight discrepancy here between this deposition and that of Captain Stevanovitch, who avers that the breasts were placed in the mouths of the victims.)

Zhurka Mladenovitch, aged 20, saw the bodies of the two old women whose breasts were cut off (see the preceding deposition). They had been killed in their own house. One lay on her bed, the other behind the door. These atrocities were committed during the retreat of the Austrian troops from the Tzer. In all 7 persons from Bastava were killed.

Michailo Mladenovitch, aged 48, likewise saw the bodies of the two Soldatovitch. They were covered with knife-wounds (probably bayonetwounds). When the bodies were washed for burial, as is customary, the women who carried out this duty observed that the Soldatovitch had been outraged before they were killed. They were respectively 66 and 80 years of age.