Memorial Day for Children Murdered and Killed in the Homeland War to be marked on 3 May 2025 for the first time

At the 5th session of the Croatian Parliament, State Secretary Sanjin Rukavina presented the Proposal of the Act on Amendments to the Act on Holidays, Memorial Days and Non-Working Days in the Republic of Croatia, with the final Proposal of the Act

More than 400 children died during the Homeland War in the Republic of Croatia. 28 children died in Slavonski Brod, which is the largest number of children killed in a local self-government unit in Croatia.

3 May 1992 is remembered as the bloodiest war day in the history of Slavonski Brod because the most children were killed on that day, six of them.

State Secretary Rukavina pointed out that this day and this city had become a symbol of the suffering of children in the Homeland War, and that in Slavonski Brod there was a monument for the children killed called "Terminated Childhood", symbolizing the young lives robbed of experiencing all the beauty of life, since their lives were unfortunately extinguished under the rain of shells of a ruthless enemy.

"Based on the fact that every human life is sacred, and above all the life of a child that is yet to experience all the joys, games and lessons of life, it is considered necessary to mark 3 May by law as a memorial day, to serve as a warning to all future generations of the importance of preserving the lives of children, caring for their safety, a life without fears, losses, weapons and war", emphasized State Secretary Rukavina.

In addition, this Memorial Day should serve as a reminder of the loss experienced by many mothers and to commemorate the most innocent victims whose happiness and joy was terminated by evil.

"It is higly important to mark 3 May as a memorial day in Croatia, to acknowledge the families of the children killed and in memory of their tremendous loss, as well as for the sake of future general awareness of how wars affect families, and how important it is that a child’s life should never be sacrificed again", said State Secretary Rukavina. 

It was proposed that the Act be adopted under urgent procedure for particularly justified reasons in order to mark 3 May 2025 as the Memorial Day for Children Murdered and Killed in the Homeland War. As this year marks 30 years since the end of the Homeland War, it is considered necessary to highlight the sacrifice of its most innocent victims.

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