Citation

Byard RW. Med. Sci. Law 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0025802420940894

PMID

32693674

Abstract

Jasenovac was a camp run by the Ustaše Supervisory Service (UNS) of the Independent State of Croatia during World War II. It was located approximately 100 km south-east of Zagreb on the banks of the Sava River. Although the purpose of, and number of deaths in, the camp have been debated, it appears that a significant number of Serbs, Roma and Jews died and/or were executed at this site between 1941 and 1945. The site demonstrates that not all detention camps at this time were controlled by the German government and that cultural/religious groups other than the Jews were detainees. Balkan mass graves may therefore derive from different conflicts at different times, and so establishing accurate conclusions from excavations often requires a verifiable and plausible context and an understanding of burial processes.

Language: en

Keywords

concentration camp; execution; Jasenovac; taphonomy; Ustaše; World War II