Mrs. Draghici was married until the year 2005. Since then, the two spouses have been living separately in practice, with them not being legally divorced to this day.

Mrs. Draghici continued to live together with their daughter, Silvica, in her parents’ house. Although she seemed to have been employed, she did not manage to meet the legal requirements to obtain a pension. During that period, Silvica also did not have a job.

The lack of any income led the two women to accumulate huge debts for utilities. Property taxes had not been paid since 1993. The prospect of enforcement led her to consider selling the apartment in Crangasi. With the money from the sale, she paid off the debts, bought a smaller apartment in Militari, and survived with what remained in the immediate aftermath.

Unfortunately, the grim scenario repeated itself. This time, after the sale, they didn’t have much left, but managed to buy a two-room apartment in Berceni, starting over again.

For 18 months, they managed to survive on Silvica’s salary. Once again, debts accumulated, for the payment of which they sold this apartment too and moved into a studio apartment in Fizicienilor.

Shortly after, they sold this studio apartment as well and rented a place until, having no more money, they were forced to appeal to the mercy of the former husband and father.

He had a studio apartment inherited from his father and offered to make it available to them. Initially, they thought they would live alone in the 30-square-meter room. However, a few days later, the former husband moved in, without any objection, into the same tiny space.

Since then, Mrs. Draghici and her daughter have been living through an unimaginable ordeal. The two women currently survive on Silvica’s modest salary, who has meanwhile managed to get a job at a supermarket. From the meager income she earns, she has to pay her father 100 lei as a kind of rent for the space and continue to pay off previous bank debts.

Unfortunately, financial problems are by no means commensurate with the suffering that the two women are forced to endure. For over 10 years, Mrs. Draghici cannot leave the studio apartment without taking all her belongings and those of her daughter with her. If left unattended, clothes are immediately ironed and destroyed by the former husband.

The quarrels between the two have led the women to leave the house every morning, loaded with bags stuffed with all their belongings. Regardless of the season, in the early hours of the morning, you can find Mrs. Draghici and Silvica on a bench in front of the building. After 10 am, once they make sure things have calmed down, the two women go back inside.

Silvica has tried over time to find a social solution that would allow the two women to move out and escape their ordeal.

Unfortunately, current legislation does not allow individuals who have owned a property to request housing through social programs.

You can watch the interview with Silvia Draghici here.