On October 4, 2015, there was an attack on three returnee houses in the village of Donji Hamzići, in the municipality of Čitluk, which are occasionally hosted by returnee families. On this occasion, part of the roof of the houses was destroyed, windows were broken, and furniture and the interior of the premises were torn and damaged. On the bench in front of one house the symbol “U” was written. These houses have been the targets of attack three times so far. According to one returnee, a message is being sent that they are not welcome and that, for some, the war has not stopped.

ADI’s team for monitoring of incidents with elements of a hate crime visited the scene on October 12, 2015. As the perpetrators of this act were not known until then, a meeting was held with the commander of the Čitluk Police Station. He stated that “there is maximum involvement of the police in the events and that the perpetrators of this vandal act will be found as soon as possible, so that they can be prosecuted in accordance with the law.”

This attack indicates the need for further efforts by all government structures, but also by the locals themselves, to establish mutual respect and respect for diversity among communities in the municipality of Čitluk. If this incident is not clarified and the perpetrators are adequately punished, there is a possibility that they will be repeated and that the relations between the two communities living in this municipality are completely broken.