In a chilling case that has shocked communities both locally and abroad, Petrit Lekaj, a convicted heroin trafficker, has been sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison for the merciless stabbing of his 20-year-old daughter. The Swiss-Albanian national's heinous act has drawn widespread condemnation, with justice finally served in a court ruling announced today.
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| Petrit Lekaj and his daughter Sabrina |
According to reports the Australian High Court heard that Lekaj brutally attacked his daughter, Sabrina Lekaj, in an unprovoked fit of rage. Sabrina, a medical radiology student at the university, was found lifeless inside her car in Kidman Park, a suburb in western Adelaide, last July.
The court proceedings revealed a harrowing sequence of events. Lekaj reportedly confronted his daughter over her celebration plans and recreational drug use, only to escalate to a violent frenzy, stabbing her eight times with a knife. Subsequently, he drove with her lifeless body in the car for nearly an hour and a half before being apprehended by the police.
In delivering the verdict, Justice Trish Kelly characterized the crime as a "catastrophic breach" of the father-daughter bond. She noted that while such relationships are typically sacrosanct, Lekaj's actions represented a shocking departure from this norm.
"Lekaj became 'heated' and 'lost patience' when Sabrina did not react as expected during their confrontation over her celebration," Justice Kelly remarked.
"The crime of filicide involves such a catastrophic breach of that relationship that it is difficult for anyone to comprehend how you could have done it. However, it is not my task to seek understanding or reason for why you committed this act," she added.
Justice Kelly also highlighted the irony of Lekaj confronting his daughter over drug use when he himself had a history of involvement with illegal substances, having served four and a half years in prison for heroin trafficking in the 1990s, along with convictions for cannabis in 2007 and 2009.
Ben Sale, Lekaj's defense attorney, previously informed the court that his client had taken a 15-centimeter knife with him when he went to get food with his daughter that fateful night.
The sentencing of Petrit Lekaj serves as a sobering reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and underscores the critical importance of safeguarding familial bonds. As the community grapples with the aftermath of this tragedy, the memory of Sabrina Lekaj will endure as a poignant reminder of the need for vigilance against such senseless acts of violence within our homes and communities.