Shkodër Tragedy Claims 3 Lives, Investigation Continues / Bleona Çelaj’s Mother: My Daughter Was Abused by Her Husband

The mother of Bleona Çelaj, the 24-year-old who died in the fire along with her two children, told Shkodër Local Police that her daughter had been subjected to abuse by her husband for some time.

She gave the statement a day earlier, despite being in severe psychological distress following the tragedy.

Several months ago, family members had tried to take Bleona and her two children away. Although the 24-year-old had initially asked them to do so, she later changed her mind and decided to continue living with her husband.

Bleona Çelaj did not have a mobile phone and had little contact with her family, as they lived in Germany.

Relations between the two families were strained, and communication between them was not normal. The tension was also evident yesterday, when the tragedy occurred, while today the families have come together for the funeral ceremony.

Her husband, meanwhile, has denied that the couple had any conflicts. His psychological condition has reportedly deteriorated severely following the incident.

Although allegations of abuse have been raised, the investigative team, based on its examination of the scene, the evidence gathered and the forensic examination, is fully convinced that the fire that killed the mother and her two children was accidental.

Fire experts from Tirana also arrived at the home engulfed in flames, where the three people died.

Investigators believe that the abuse alleged by Bleona’s family did not contribute to the tragedy, as a possible leak from a gas cylinder is suspected of causing the explosion.

There was also a bottle of petrol in the house, which significantly contributed to the spread of the fire and the explosion.

Police seized physical evidence, including part of the gas cylinder, which is considered the key piece of evidence, as well as other items found outside. The materials were sent to Tirana for further examination.

At the time of the tragedy, the mother and her two children were alone in the abandoned home in Domen, Postribë, as her husband had gone to a supermarket.

The couple had returned from Germany several days earlier. Her husband is a German citizen, while Bleona was in the process of obtaining documentation.

Police and prosecutors are continuing their investigation. So far, they have ruled out the possibility that the mother killed herself or suffocated her children because of the alleged abuse or any other influence, and the incident has been classified as accidental.