Merita Shabiju

Victim of an unspeakable act and a loving response. she was born to Albanian parents, one of five children in a remote village in Macedonia. Her parents were forced to flee the fighting raging during the Serbian-Kosovo civil war. They took temporary refuge in an abandoned house near the village of Vitina, Kosovo. When the NATO jets flew over heading to their bombing targets, Merita Shabiu would stand and wave, happy in the knowledge the Americans had come to help. Her father worked in other people's fields to support the family. He cut firewood and raised bees. On Jan 13, 2000, Merita did not come home from school. The eleven year old was found covered with snow and leaves, beaten and raped with a bullethole in her forehead. She had been killed by U.S. Army Sgt. Frank Ronghi from Youngstown, Ohio a member of the American peacekeeping force now occupying the area. She loved school and wanted to be a doctor. Merita was buried in a simple Muslim funeral in the community cemetery with 2,000 people attending including many from the nearby U.S. military base at Camp Bondsteel. Two wooden stakes were used to identify her grave. Word spread of a drive to raise money for a headstone. More than $4,000 was collected and given to the family as well as enough to pay for the headstone. A missionary group also became involved and provided food and clothing plus several head of livestock. A platoon of U.S. soldiers delivered and erected the marker. An American private who had helped Sgt Ronghi hide the body came forward and supplied information linking him to the death which had been thought to have been performed by vengful Serbs. Ronghi confessed at his military trial and is now serving a life sentence without parole in Kansas. Bio by Nick