Content note: description of violence against women
Two days ago, the media reported on a case of the brutal assault of a woman in a hotel in Qeparo in the south of the country.
The police issued a brief, routine report on the arrest of a 47-year-old man on charges of “domestic violence”.
Domestic violence in Albania remains a significant issue with over half of women being abused at least once in their lives. Most cases go unreported and those that do, rarely end up in any meaningful sentence. There is also a concern over the number of women who have protection orders against their partners but that end up abused again and even murdered.
The survivor of last week’s incident was beaten, suffered severe physical injuries and was psychologically traumatised. She is still being treated in hospital. Sadly, the media seems to have moved on from the story already.
Exit news has seen the survivor’s criminal report and conversed briefly with her. She spoke of a recurring history of violence during which her husband routinely beat her in front of her parents and two-year-old child.
In her report, she said he was “actively trying to kill her” as her husband attempted to strangle her. Yet, he has not been charged with attempted murder.
The couple who live in London had been on holiday in Qeparo with their two-year-old daughter, the husband’s parents, and the husband’s teenage child from a previous marriage.
On Sunday evening at around 23:00, the woman left the hotel room for a few moments to collect the toys and towels that the children had left on the beach, leaving her husband and the minors in the room. After she returned, he started hitting her but she was able to go onto the balcony and scream for help. Her husband pulled her inside and continued to kick, punch, and then attempt to strangle her.
It is then claimed that her husband’s parents joined in with the assault, hitting and punching her as well. She said her two-year-old child was traumatised as witnessed the violence as it happened.
The police came and the husband was arrested while the woman and child were taken to hospital.
