Sex slave: 'Every day we were raped'

by CJaye | July 22, 2008 at 12:28 pm
1763 views | 33 Recommendations | 37 comments

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (CNN) -- The outbreak of war seemed like a joke to Jasmina, then just 19 years old. She dreamed of being an economist and says she played with her toddler son and baby daughter as if they were toys.

 "Every day we were raped."

Jasmina says she was raped repeatedly during the rule of Radovan Karadzic: "Every day we were raped."

 But in April 1992, the Serb soldiers took over her city of Bijeljina, in northeast Bosnia near the border with Serbia, and began to kill, torture and terrorize the Muslims there in a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing.

"Whole families were disappearing during the night. Sometimes we could see their bodies in the gardens, sometimes not even that," Jasmina said.

"The men from my family were beaten up the first day. ... My mother just disappeared. I never found out what happened."

"Then they started torturing me. I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was totally naked and covered in blood, and my sister-in-law was also naked and covered in blood. ... I knew I had been raped, and my sister-in-law, too." In a corner, she saw her mother-in-law, holding her children and crying.

"That same day we were locked in our house. That was the worst, the worst period of my whole life. That's when it started.

"Every day we were raped. Not only in the house -- they would also take us to the front line for the soldiers to torture us. Then again in the house, in front of the children," Jasmina said through a translator, remembering the 10 other women who were brutalized with her.

"I was in such a bad condition that sometimes I couldn't even recognize my own children. Even though I was in a very bad physical condition they had no mercy at all. They raped me every day. They took me to the soldiers and back to that house.

"The only conversation we had was when I was begging them to kill me. That's when they laughed. Their response was 'we don't need you dead.' "

Once at the front line, there were female soldiers who tortured her with a bottle and then slashed at her throat and wrist when it broke. Then the troops cut one of her breasts with a bayonet, said Jasmina, now looking older than her 35 years.

"It lasted for a year. Every day. ... Not all the women survived."

recommend This comment thread is now closed
politisite
politisite
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:50 on July 22nd, 2008

CJaye, I like this story. It's good stuff.

0
CJaye

Thank you politisite for the mark & flag this is a very sad story.  Hopefully one day with help she will be able to cope.

0
Jarrett Martineau

Please remember to add your own original content to highlighted stories. Posts that are purely higlighted are not encouraged on NowPublic.

For more information on what makes Good Stuff, please check out:

http://www.nowpublic.com/newsroom/tips/flagging_guide/good_stuff

0
CJaye

If you had read the post you would have seen that I did so I guess you didn't read the whole article.  I've read all the tips but thank you anyway.

0
Jarrett Martineau

Thanks, it's not clear that your comments are distinct from the highlighted story. Could you please add them as an introduction -- or place them outside of the highlighted section?

0
CJaye

Thank you John E. Carey for the flag and comment, it is very important.

0
Jarrett Martineau

CJaye, I also wanted to say thanks for posting this story. It is both shocking and heartbreaking to learn of this unimaginable atrocity.

0
Mikasi

I'm with Jarrett here... No additional content appears here. That does not denigrate the worth of the story though.

0
CJaye

Thank you for your comment

Rhonda J Mangus
Rhonda J Mangus
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 13:32 on July 22nd, 2008

CJaye, I like this story. It's good stuff.

0
CJaye

Thank you Rhonda for the flag.

0
Rhonda J Mangus

You are very welcome, CJaye!

0
JeffHuang

Thanks for posting this story CJaye.

0
CJaye

Your welcome JeffHuang:)

0
CJaye

Thank you Jarrett it is shocking and heartbreaking

René
René
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 14:18 on July 22nd, 2008

CJaye, how horrifying! How men can do it? But women too? Are they human?

0
CJaye

No they are all sick!  Thank you for the good stuff flag Rene.

0
René

Can't believe all these NP experts can't refer you to some tutorials on how to do all that tricky stuff.

As far as your reporting of this worldwide problem, let me pass on an apt quote:

"At a time such as this, it is up to U.S. citizens who are not part of the formal media world to publish online, research aggressively, check facts assiduously, expose abuses, file Freedom of Information Act requests, publish 'zines, write op-eds, and take ownership of producing as much of the news and information stream as they can." - Naomi Wolf, The End of America

(all I did there was click on whole paragraph, and click on the next to last icon in the tool bar, moves everything left)
I
think quote applies to everyone in the world.

0
Paschen

Actually Rene, PEP and I  did so as well as two editors, Thank you! Would burn a red light even though you may be in hurry for what ever reason? The rules do not only protect the copy rights and original Authors, they do also protect you the user as well as NP! Laws suites such as in the Music industry will soon hit us as well!

0
CJaye

Paschen you are the only one who has helped show me other than Rene'.  I ask you to show me how.  PEP and others have done nothing but fuss at me and tell me I was flamming or give me tips on things I already know.  If you guys would lay off me about the highlight tool.  I use it everytime I post unless I write it myself.  For  Jarrett and others instead of just leaving meassages whats wrong and being adminatrative you should help by showing not just leaving a nasty grams.  What kinda of business is that?  Please lay off RENE' she didn't know, you showed me the way to do a story let her show me how to edit please.  I'm here to learn.

0
PEP

Cjaye, I am passionate about stopping the abuse of women and children. I'd like to say that I am so sorry that you think my offers of help--including our email correspondence--have been what you think is nothing but "fussing" at you. As I told you in one email several weeks ago, I thought it would be better to leave you a helpful comment about how NP likes things done--and how to increase readership-- rather than ignore something and then see your piece get  "wrenched" by staff  and taken out of front page circulation.

I have the belief that material presented in a way that's the easiest to read and see all the components of is the material that will get the greatest readership. Since I'm passionate about your preferred topic, I wanted to help you get the greatest readership. Simple equation.

As far as no one trying to help you--what  people are saying to you now is  precisely what  I have  tried to help you with before, in email and on your stories, several weeks ago. Many good people here are genuinely trying to help you. Several of us have tried, over many weeks now, to help you learn how to present and "edit" a story.

Many weeks ago, I accepted your very brief apology for calling me names and being so very angry when someone tried to suggest  ways in which  you could improve your material-and thereby increase your readership.

Obviously, you'd prefer to be left alone. I'm not a staffer, as Jarrett is, and therefore I'm not obligated to help you, or read your work. Rather than being called names or being attacked, I'm just going to move on and wish you well with your material. I hope that will be less upsetting to you.

0
PEP

Because CJaye does not allow private email to her via the NP site, I had to post this as a comment rather than writing to her. I tried doing that.

0
CJaye

CJaye does allow private email via NP? I get them everyday. That was so very unprofessional by posting private messages. I thought I'd help you out with the actual message to you.  No one said it was your job to help me. Just the way you said that was really painful. I think you could learn something from Rene' on etiquette. You don't know me so don't assume I'm upset over something and I never got angry about anything!  I'm not a angry person just determined. I'm a professional RN who works with mentally handicapped children, a grandmother with a artistic child, a daughter of a murdered father and a survivor of child molestation.  I'm not angry!

0
CJaye

This is just a distraction from the actual story

0
CJaye

Rene' others have left messages in re to tips.  The only problem is it is tips for highlighting and I know how to highlight.  I don't know what there problem is and why they can't see it.  NO ONE has showed me anything on how to do anything except you and Paschen.

I agree the Naomi Wolf 100% n It's the only way the public is going to know the real truth!

patgarcia
patgarcia
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:44 on July 22nd, 2008

CJaye, I like this story. It's good stuff. This has happened in many wars, heartbreaking indeed

0
René

Still happening everyday. Africa for many places.

0
CJaye

Thank you patgarcia for the good stuff mark.  It is heatbreaking, but it's still happens right here today.  Mexico,California, Nevada, New York, Florida, Texas  all have a hugh problem with forced prostitution. This is the cycle of the human sex trafficking ring in the US. and Mexico.

0
René

Actually, cJaye, don't think you need to add OPINION in the headline. I know it's just tooo  confusing. If you add your opinion, is it reporting on a news item from wherever or is it an OPINION piece? Conundrum.

renovatio
renovatio
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 17:53 on July 22nd, 2008

CJaye, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Thanks' post the story.

I wish Radovan Karadzic soul burn in hell.

This story was created over 3 months ago, the comment thread is now closed.

closeSign in to NowPublic

is reporting from