no investigation of the crimes had been initiated either by italy, yugoslavia or any international bodies, until after slovenia became an independent country in 1991. italian-slovene relations in the relevant period (1880s to 1950s) have been under intensive study by historians since 1990. a joint report by a commission of historians from both countries was published under the auspices of the two governments in the year 2000. the report puts the italian-slovenian relations in a wider context. it touches also on the question of mass killings associated with the "foibe". as no exact count was ascertained, the report includes a wording of "hundreds of victims," referring to the territory relevant for italo-slovenian relations, and thus excluding the croatian territories.