Esma said, We hid in the woods. The soldiers found us in a hollow and they shot my husband and they cut off his ears and they threw him in the Drina and they took me and my daughter and granddaughter and some neighbours too. They took all of us to the workers’ huts at the gorge, Buk Bijela, and they lined us up against the walls and a soldier came and got me and he showed me my husband’s bloody clothes and he took my wedding ring, and then he offered me a cigarette and said, Grandmother, you come with us. I heard women screaming and I knew what was happening in the other huts and then it happened to me, he said to teach me, and we were all crying and they took us in a bus into town to the high school. The next day they moved us to the Partizan Sports Hall.

Karla showed Esma a piece of paper with witnesses’ names and numbers. She asked her to identify, using their numbers, which women had been with her.

Esma took the paper. To decipher the letters, she pronounced the names to hear them aloud. In the gallery I heard her familiar voice whispering, and then suddenly Mr. Mataruga was saying loudly and with great agitation, Please, Your Honour, the microphone is on. The women’s names are being broadcast.

Judge Banda called a recess, said they had not anticipated this. They would create a time delay for the broadcast. Esma was escorted out of the courtroom, ashamed of her mistake. She was sure she had ruined the trial.

Beatrijs was waiting for her and she said, Esma, do not worry. You are helping us to see how to do this. You are first. We must all learn to do things correctly.

Esma said, I will not do it again. I can read quietly too. My husband has no grave but the Drina river.

Beatrijs said, Esma, you are irreplaceable. You are why we are here.

Edina told me that her mother awoke strangely refreshed the next morning.

In court Esma was able to read with no sound, only moving her lips a little, and she listed the numbers of all the women she knew, her daughter, PW-71, her granddaughter, PW-81, her neighbour, PW-91, and thirteen others from her village.

Karla asked her to repeat what the accused had done to her.

She said, He had his way.

Karla said, I know it is difficult to say. In the court it is all right to use the formal words.

Esma said, He showed me the bloody ear of my husband. He took my wedding ring. He raped me.

Thank you, said Karla.

Esma said, They did it to fill us with terror.

Judge Banda said, Please, Witness. Only answer the questions as they are asked to you.

I imagined that Karla would be looking at her with warm eyes, trying to keep her confident. She proceeded through a series of simple questions.