A seven-year-old girl has been killed in a speedboat accident on an Albanian beach. Jonada Avdia was hit by the propeller, a blow that immediately killed her. The victim’s father then attacked the driver of the boat. Officer Arjan Tase entered an area reserved for swimmers only after hours. He was arrested and now faces charges of manslaughter.
The tragic accident took place on the beach of Potam last Tuesday. Bledar was playing in the sea with his daughter when he suddenly saw a white speedboat charging towards them at an infernal speed.
“The chaos separated us from each other. I was still able to dive under the water, but my daughter couldn’t go anywhere,” Bledar told local media. The family has lived in the UK for two decades, but had now opted for a holiday in their home country.
Dangerous Maneuvers
According to investigators, Tase had picked up some family members in Porto Palermo, a beach eight kilometers away. Then he performed some dangerous maneuvers before their eyes. So it went horribly wrong.
Fifteen officers who were responsible for ensuring safety on the beach that day were promptly fired. However, that did not dampen the public anger. Riots broke out in several parts of the country yesterday. In the capital Tirana there were fierce confrontations with the police.
Resigned
The demonstrators demand the resignation of the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of Tourism and the police chief. In their eyes, it is the state that is responsible for Jonada’s death.
It is therefore the third incident with speedboats on Albanian beaches this summer. Last month a couple was injured on Jale beach, two days later a seven-year-old child had to lick his wounds.
Tourism Minister Mirela Kumbaro blames Tase for the most part. “An angel is no longer with us because a man was stupid enough to flout every rule. Nothing I say can offer any comfort to the parents. But I do want to make an appeal to the Ministry of Justice: do your job and impose the maximum penalty on violators of the law.”
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