28 years since the Prespa tragedy/ Family members demand justice!

2024-05-08 19:30:00, Kronika CNA

13 students, together with their teacher, from the village of Starovë in Pogradec tragically lost their lives in Lake Prespa 28 years ago. They were all sailing in a single boat, when they capsized in the waters of the lake and perished forever. Even after so many years, the families of the children raise accusations that there was no justice for this tragedy that happened. Hava Latollari says that the boatman was sentenced to only 8 months in prison and then he was released.

"This tragedy happened 28 years ago. We had a son, Arti Latollari, we sent him in the morning because this was a teaching program, we didn't send him for our own pleasure, but for 1 month they said they were going on an excursion to Voskopoja, but then they It changed that Sali Berisha came to the meeting there and they were taken to Prespa. What happened was that it was the fault of the people there, not the children who went. we stood up at that time because the boats they had didn't have gas. They didn't deal with this tragedy, there were 14 of them, they didn't give up and now we demand justice. At that time they sentenced him to 8 months and took him out of the boat They didn't give us justice, if you look at them there are many cards and they throw the ball at each other. We ask for justice because only we cry for them, no one else cries, but we want they give us. We have no hope, they are eating their heads and all those who put their hands in their pockets for our children should be inside", said Hava Latollari.

28 years since the Prespa tragedy/ Family members demand justice!

Hava Latollari

Shpresa Berberi and Nurie Muçollari are the mothers of two of the children who lost their lives in that tragedy. Two mothers whose souls burn from the loss of their children, while they are the only ones who remember them with tears every May 7. No one else remembers the serious incident that happened 28 years ago and it seems that no one did justice for them.

At the time when the tragedy happened, according to Hava Latollari, the search started 1 day after the event to find the drowned bodies. She considers it a minimal commitment of the authorities, as the dead bodies had to be taken out of the lake waters first.

"When we went there, there was absolutely no one at all. The lake was sleeping, it was calm, when we were the first to go there, other cars started to arrive. The sky was darkened by the plane, that's why we are angry that we are in this Albania and with these governments", she emphasized.

In memory of the 14 angels, the school in the village of Starovë was named after them. Inside this school there is also a museum class that presents these children and the teacher who tragically lost their lives in what would have been a school excursion, while the families are still waiting for justice./ CNA