Domestic violence continues to challenge Albanian society. This phenomenon is also present among the Albanian community in the United States of America. In the last 20 years, at least seven Albanian-American women lost their lives as a result of domestic violence.

Anila Duro, a professor at John Jay College and an activist against domestic violence, has researched these women and shares the details of their stories. Her findings show that every case has started with pressure and control, to escalate later into deadly violence.

“As a community, we must take seriously the signs of violence that we may notice in our sisters, daughters, mothers, and in general our society, to understand when someone is in an abusive relationship. What starts as a small control like not allowing them to go out to cafes, stopping them from going to shops, or checking their phone can escalate into deadly violence” says activist Anila Duro for Atlantiku.

Albanian-American women who experience domestic violence can seek and receive necessary help by calling the National Center for Domestic Violence at 800-799-7233. This center also has Albanian language translators.

The stories of Albanian-American women who lost their lives as a result of domestic violence during the last 20 years are as follows:

Zamira Gashaj 

In 2002, a serious murder shook the city of Troy, Michigan. As a result of domestic violence, Zamira Gashaj was killed at the age of 29 by her husband Palok Gashaj.

After committing the act, Palok Gashaj, then 33 years old, took his children and went to Detroit where he also killed his brother-in-law.

During this period, the Gashaj couple’s children were under the age of 8.

The Deputy Chief of Police in Troy, Steve Zavislak, had declared that Palok Gashaj from Albania was staying illegally in America, as a deportation order had been issued against him in 1995.

“He was ordered to report for deportation, which he never did,” Zavislak had declared to the media in Detroit.

The Detroit municipality had said that he had been denied asylum in New York and that the judge had requested his removal. Although it is not known for sure, according to public information, there is no data if the order for his deportation was based on any criminal activity.

Maria Djelaj

The Albanian-American community in Detroit is shocked again in 2008 when Maria Djelaj, then 38, is killed by her husband Djerdj Djelaj. After committing the act of murder, Djerdj Djelaj committed suicide.

The killing came after 23 years of marriage for the couple, an abusive relationship that escalated when Maria was fighting for justice and trying to divorce her abusive partner.

Six months after the divorce, Djerdji killed his wife and himself in a church parking lot in Shelby, Detroit.

Gyltene “Julie” Rugova

In 2014, another Albanian woman lost her life as a result of domestic violence. Gyltene “Julie” Rugova was killed at the age of 46 by Hasan “Sammy” Rugova in Brooklyn, New York.

The murder happened a few hours before Gyltenja opened her pizzeria.

Hasan “Sammy” Rugova pleaded guilty before the judge to stabbing and murdering his wife in May 2014, after a fight.

He was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Rugova from Albania had an American passport for 15 years, so she was not deported.

Florida Lumi

She was killed at the age of 29 by her husband Fred Rudaj in 2016 in the Bronx, New York. At the time she was killed, Florida was pregnant with Doras’ children, police announced on the day of the murder.

After killing his wife, Fred Rudaj, then 39 years old, committed suicide.

The names of the couple, who lived in the Bronx’s Pelham Bay community, were not known to police.

Elena Alinj

This is another case of domestic violence among the Albanian-American community. The young mother of Albanian origin was killed at the age of 23 by her boyfriend Marvin Santiago in Colorado.

Elena was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, where she later died. Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Unit investigators took over the case and interviewed Elena’s boyfriend, who then ruled the case a homicide.

After investigations, it was learned that Santiago had been accused in the past of violence against his mother and other family members.

Ornela Morgan

Ornela Morgan, originally from Korça, Albania, along with her two sons, aged 10-12, were shot dead by her American husband, Watson Morgan, in New York. Watson Morgan then killed himself. The family had been living in the U.S. for several years, where Watson worked as a police officer.

Suela Saliaj

In Florida, 34-year-old Renato Muhaj murdered his ex-wife, Suela Saliaj, 32, and kidnapped their 8-year-old daughter. The couple had been living separately prior to the incident. Muhaj was arrested hours later and charged with first-degree murder and child abduction.

These tragic stories continue to highlight the critical issue of domestic violence within the Albanian-American community, underscoring the importance of vigilance, support, and intervention to protect vulnerable individuals./Atlantiku