Bosnia marks 33 years since Vitez children killed as Gračanica signs child‑welfare pact

Across Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 33rd anniversary of the 1993 Vitez massacre, in which a mortar shell killed eight Croatian children—Sanja Garić, Milan Garić, Dragan Ramljak, Dražen Čečura, Boris Antičević, Sanja Križanović, Augustina Grebenar and Velimir Grebenar—was commemorated with candle litings, white roses and prayers. The Youth branch of HDZ BiH highlighted the ongoing court case at the BiH Supreme Court and the start of work on a permanent Memorial Centre “Osmica” to preserve the memory and promote peace education.

In Gračanica, the municipal mayor Sadmir Džebo and SOS Children’s Villages manager Melika Šahinović signed a memorandum of cooperation to improve social protection, education and family support. Džebo said, “Grad Gračanica ostaje posvećen stvaranju okruženja u kojem djeca i mladi imaju priliku da razvijaju svoje potencijale, a porodice dobiju podršku kada im je najpotrebnija.” Šahinović added that the partnership “potiče razvoj programa za djecu i mlade i jača kapacitete zajednice”. The signing was accompanied by a screening of the documentary film “Dite”, emphasizing the right of every child to a family and community support.