Albanian Grandmother and Husband Jailed for Kidnapping Grandson Amid Family Dispute

An Albanian grandmother, Barie Gjun, and her husband Rexhepin have been imprisoned for allegedly abducting their 3-year-old grandson. The couple kept the child hidden for nearly a week in an attempt to take him from his mother and raise him themselves.

Barie's cousin, speaking on her behalf, claims that the child was in suboptimal health when found and that the relationship between Barie and her former daughter-in-law, Ille Gjuni, has been tense since the death of Barie's son about a year ago. The cousin states that Barie is suffering not only from the loss of her son, but also the consequences of this event, and that she sees her grandson as a way to keep her son's memory alive.

The grandmother claimed she acted out of love and a desire to raise the child herself. However, law enforcement involvement and discussions led Barie to surrender the child, who was returned to his mother in good health. The Durrës court imposed an "obligation to appear" on the grandmother for her actions.

Why this matters: This case highlights the complex family dynamics and custody disputes that can arise after the loss of a parent. It also underscores the importance of following legal channels in resolving such matters, rather than resorting to extreme measures like kidnapping.

Ille Gjuni, the 23-year-old mother, denies accusations made by her former in-laws that she plans to remarry and leave the country. She claims they have prevented her from visiting her son by sending him to undisclosed locations. The grandmother's cousin also mentioned rumors about Ille remarrying, which has affected the family.

Ille Gjuni stated, "The accusations of my mother-in-law's brother, Barie Gjuni, who claimed that I was doing everything for money, are not true. The insurance money was divided equally among me, my son, and my father-in-law." She maintains that her in-laws did not want to let her leave their apartment and threatened to determine the custody of her son using traditional Albanian customary law.

The grandmother and her husband will now face justice for their actions. The case remains under investigation as authorities work to fully document the incident that led to an <a href="https://alf

Key Takeaways

• Albanian grandparents imprisoned for allegedly abducting 3-yr-old grandson.
• Grandparents claim child was in poor health, wanted to raise him themselves.
• Custody dispute arose after death of grandparents' son, the child's father.
• Mother denies accusations of plans to remarry and leave country with child.
• Grandparents face justice for their actions, case remains under investigation.