Infanticide – the cruel murder of babies and children Joseph Zak (Zera Kodesh)

“Because the young children and the sucklings swoon in the broad places of the city. They say to their mothers, where is corn and wine? When they swoon as the wounded in the broad places of the city, when their soul is poured into their mothers’ bosom.” (Lamentations Chapter 2, verses 12-13)

There is, it seems, no limit to the depths of evil and savagery which mankind is capable of descending to, rendering him void of any semblance of humanity. When overcome by bestial instincts he is capable of behavior horrendous enough to shock any living soul. The Lithuanians displayed such behavior during the Holocaust while abusing their victims – namely their Jewish neighbors – abuse committed on a scale never witnessed before in the history of mankind. Their ‘treatment’ of babies and children was particularly gruesome.

The testimonies given by survivors, Lithuanian neighbors and the criminals themselves are singularly horrifying. How could these animals abuse infants with such vehement hatred and cruelty?

Volume 4 of the anthology of Lithuanian Jewry , which provides details on the Holocaust that took place in Lithuanian towns and cities, also includes accounts of infanticide that took place at certain locations. These shocking accounts make difficult reading, but it is our duty to continue to publish them so that these atrocities – committed by Lithuanians who were usually neighbors of the victims they murdered – will never be forgotten. The testimony that follows below represents just some of the many atrocities that occurred and we aim to obtain information about as many such incidents as possible, if not all of them, so that they may be accurately recorded for the education of future generations.

Alsedzaiai “Stasys Abrutus displayed exceptional cruelty. One of the women begged him to shoot her first so that she would not have to witness her baby daughter’s death. Abrutus slashed the infant’s throat in front of the mother and then murdered her.”

Alytus “The murderer Petras Saulevicius admitted, “I was an active participant in the annihilation of Jews and I felt it necessary to act decisively. I abused women, old people and children. I would toss the children around like strips of timber and paid no heed to them or their whining mothers.”

Aukstadvaris “The Lithuanians began murdering; they shot and threw wounded victims into the pits. Babies’ heads were shattered with blows from hammers.”

Betygala “From her hideout, she could follow the gruesome scenes of murder that were taking place. She saw how Lithuanian murderers wrenched a nine month old baby from his mother’s arms and tore him in two.”

Butrimonys “The children were simply shoved into the pit and shot. Most of them were buried alive.”

Gargzdai “Having murdered all the Jewish men, the Lithuanians forced Jewish women and children to dance on the graves of their loved ones. But it didn’t end there. Later, the women and children were led by armed Lithuanian guards to a site west of town on the other side of the Minga River and locked in a number of derelict barns. Many children didn’t reach the final destination and were murdered en route, their skulls shattered with stones and clubs.

“The Lithuanian carried out the murders with the utmost barbarity. They beat the women and children with shovels and iron bars, terrorizing their victims like bloodthirsty animals hunting prey.”

“I watched as the men and women put down their suitcases and personal effects and began removing their outer clothing. As they began separating the women from the children, terrible wailing broke out. Women refused to be separated from their children so the Lithuanian murderers dragged them away by their hands and legs. Many children ran back to their parents and were mowed down by a hail of gunfire. They pushed people forward to the edge of one of the trenches and then opened fire on them with machine guns. The children were shoved into the other trench and many of them were buried alive.”

Jubarkas “Children were beaten, thrown to the ground and trampled to death. The murderers would fire their guns in the air, brutally shouting, “Throw the children in the pits.”

Kedainiai “The murderers’ cruelty got worse with every minute that passed. Rachel Shisianski stood at the edge of the pit and begged them to shoot her first and then her children. In response, they grabbed hold of her children and shot them in front of her and then killed her afterwards. The Lithuanians would throw babies and try to impale them on their bayonets as they came down.”

Kraziai “The Lithuanian murderer Bronius Kaminskas grabbed Leyzarin, a six week old baby, and dashed his head against a tree as well as tearing him in two.

Marijampole “They didn’t bother shooting children at all, but merely smashed in their skulls with clubs and shovels.”

Mazeikiai “After the women, came the turn of the children. At this point the Lithuanians came up with a simpler idea. They threw them all into one long trench. Then they positioned themselves around the edge of the trench and opened fire on the children below. Their screams pierced the skies above. Once they had finished shooting, the Lithuanians filled in the trenches with earth and slaked lime, burying the children underneath, the dead, wounded and living all together.”

Panevezys “They would wrench the young children out of their mothers’ arms and throw them in the pits. The Lithuanian murderers’ favorite sport was throwing babies and attempting to shoot them mid air. They usually missed and many of the infants would be still alive after they fell into the ditch below. Grabbing the children by the hair, the murderers shattered their skulls with a bullet from their revolvers. Soviet prisoners of war were usually employed to fill in the ditches once the murders were over. On one occasion they noticed that a child in one of the trenches was still alive. They lifted him out and tried to hide him in the nearby bushes but the Lithuanian guards saw them and reprimanded and beat them severely. Claiming it was “better to kill him so that no one can take vengeance on us,” the local police official Dembrauskas put his gun against the child’s head and shot him.”

Psavalys “Lithuanian murderers went on the rampage. They tore the infants to shreds and dashed their heads against nearby trees.”

Radviliskis – Nemunelis “Children up to age six were killed with blows from rifle butts or by having their heads crushed with stones. Children aged six and upwards were shot.”

Sirvintos “Small children were thrown in the air and used by the Lithuanians as target practice.”

Taurage “The Lithuanian murderers didn’t even bother shooting babies and kids. They simply grabbed them by the legs and tore them in two or dashed their skulls against nearby trees or boulders. Then they would throw them in the pits.”

Uzpaliai “Mirel Meitz gave birth to a baby a few days before war broke out. The hooligans tore the infant to shreds in front of the mother and threw the mutilated corpse into the yard.”