Crown Prince Leka embroiled in alleged domestic violence dispute
11 March 2024 16:15
On Tuesday, a video surfaced online showing the 41-year-old Albanian Crown Prince Leka, allegedly involved in a physical altercation with his 41-year-old wife, Princess Elia, who he is in the process of divorcing, and her 73-year-old father, Gjergjem Polikron Zaharia.
In the video filmed by Prince Leka, Princess Elia can be heard launching a series of accusations. – You touched my father, who fed you. (...) You have no education, you only completed fourth grade. You forged documents, told the Albanian state that you were educated – Elia's words can be heard.
Leka claims that when he tried to meet his 3-year-old daughter Geraldine, he was attacked by his father-in-law, and then by his wife, not just with hands, but even was hit with a wooden statue. Under verbal and physical threat, the prince was forced to leave the royal court.
– The prince was violent toward me and spoke to me in harsh language. I did not attack him, only defended myself. I am about 70 years old and cannot stand on my feet, let alone attack a man as tall as about 2 meters (nearly 6 feet 7 inches) – said the princess's father Gjergj Zaharia.
the court issued a decision
After the recording of the altercation was revealed, the Palace issued a statement claiming that Leka was "physically attacked with hard objects by his former wife and former father-in-law" and that the video was handed over to the police as evidence in the case.
In a conversation with Alban Daily News, Elia stated that her participation in the fight was merely an attempt to stop her husband's aggression.
Eventually, the couple appeared in court in Tirana on Thursday. According to the court's decision, Prince Leka may personally meet his daughter in the presence of a nanny. The couple, however, must maintain a distance of about 5 metres from each other. Meanwhile, the prosecution has initiated an investigation into the domestic violence case.
