The victims

Almost every house in Beslan is mourning someone. The town is in shock - people are paralysed by grief, rage and helplessness. Many of the children who witnessed the attack are traumatised. Since the events of September 2004 the Russian Orthodox Church, together with German emergency relief for children and other organisations, has been trying to help the victims to live with the pain and grief, to look beyond the horror and to try to lead a normal life again.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, paid only a short visit to Beslan. It was more a photo opportunity than a visit to offer condolences. He demonstrated renewed strength in his announcement at Beslan that harsher action would be taken against the Chechen terror and there would be no bargaining with child murderers. There was no mention of the background to the bloodthirsty hostage taking.