Madonna's Spanking

Pozarevac photographer Miroslav Milosevic was beaten up by two skin-head body-builders in the hallway of his apartment building a little before midnight on 13 June, because he had given to our magazine a photograph of Marko Milosevic (the son of president Slobodan Milosevic) his girl-friend and his sister Marija. The photograph was published on the front cover of the 8 June issue of VREME. The beating seems to have surprised no one in Pozarevac except Miroslav and his family, because there had been some hints of it. On 6 June, when VREME appeared on Belgrade newsstands, alleged owner of the Pozarevac "Rolex" cafe Zoran Ivanovic showed up in the photographer's apartment, and asked who had given the photograph to VREME. Miroslav explained that he had asked the owner of the discotheque "Madonna" in Pozarevac, Marko Milosevic, at the opening, whether he could put the photographs in his shop window and publish them in newspapers. Ivanovic telephoned to Marko and after the phone call told Miroslav: "The photographs published in VREME came out of your laboratory, and someone's neck is going to be broken because of it."

The photographs of the opening of "Madonna" appeared on 3 June in "Vecernje Novosti," accompanied by appropriate text, as should be done when the news concern President Milosevic's family. Problems arose when the photograph of Marko's girl-friend, Marko and Marija appeared in VREME.

Five days after Zoran Ivanovic's visit and threat, Miroslav Milosevic on his way back from work was attacked by two young men who hit him in the head with "hard objects." "I am sure the attackers are not from Pozarevac," said Miroslav who had managed to ask them why they were beating him. "They told me it was because I had published photographs in VREME. I fell down on the stairs and was unconscious for some time, I don't know for how long, and then I threw up. I somehow found my way to the apartment and called the police who came within ten minutes," Miroslav explained. They advised him to keep quiet, to get a good sleep and to ask Marko Milosevic for an explanation the next day.

On the same night Dr. Natasa Strbac who was on duty at the casualties ward found that Miroslav Milosevic had a series of injuries on the head and sent him to be examined by a neurologist. The neurologist gave Milosevic sick leave.

Miroslav Milosevic says that what hurts him more than the beating is that people laugh at him and tell him: "You haven't paid a high price, it could have been worse." That is why he shuts himself in his home and does not go out after dark.

It is not yet clear what actually enraged young Marko when he recently ("Nasa Borba," 15-16 June) said that opposition press, including VREME, was "becoming the worst thief, bandit, criminal," which is a notorious stupidity that can be explained only by "Madonna" owner's mental structure. He also told "Nasa Borba" reporters: "Do you know that we have started killing the opposition?" We learned from Marko's friends that he had actually been enraged because the paper had written that he was a second-rate driver.

Miroslav Milosevic believes that the ruffians had not been sent by Marko, but by a friend of his, in order to gain Marko's affection. Rumors say that school trips will be organized during the summer from other towns to Pozarevac, for the students to see "Madonna" and Marko's new house. The teachers will show their students what a diligent young man can accomplish by his work.

In the afternoon of 15 June a police officer came to Miroslav Milosevic's apartment to take notes about the attack. Someone obviously gave belated orders to Pozarevac police to fulfill the formalities, so that no one could say that the police are not carrying out the investigation, in case the attackers were in any way related to Marko Milosevic. Of course, no one expects them to be found.