"We are completely helpless": a Russian woman - on the prosecution of her daughter in the United States for slapping an American husband

- Elena, tell us a little about yourself and your daughter. How did Alina meet her husband? When they married?

- My name is Elena Herzog, I am 52 years old. I come from Kaliningrad, when I got married, I moved to Krasnodar. Alina met her husband more than a year ago. She went to rest in Miami, met Anthony James Rurtz there, they began a relationship. It resulted in great love, at least we thought so at that moment. He is already an adult - his daughter is 30 years old, and he is 40. He is an American, lives in the state of California in San Luis Obispo - this is such a provincial village (a city between San Francisco and Los Angeles. - RT ). He has his own house there. Alina came to him even before the wedding. They lived for two months, then Anthony proposed to her, he even called us and asked for his daughter’s hands. On September 19, 2019, they signed in Chicago, where they celebrated a wedding with friends. It was a joyful event for us.

“Did your daughter complain that her husband was beating her?” How serious were the injuries?

- Previously, Alina did not complain that her husband was beating her. But sometimes in conversations slipped that he was aggressive. This was manifested in rude words, he could grab by the hand when she began to argue. Then I did not attach any importance to this, we, Russian women, are used to it. Then there was a more serious incident.

When they were driving from San Francisco on December 19th, they had some kind of conflict in the car and Anthony hit Alina on the panel of the car. The police were called, he was immediately sent to prison, but on the same day he went out. He was helped by one of his friends - they made a pledge or vouched, I don’t know exactly how it was. Then Anthony tearfully begged his daughter to forgive him. Unfortunately, she forgave.

• © Photo from the personal archive

- How did Alina receive the family and the environment of her American husband? What is your relationship with your son-in-law and his family?

- He introduced his daughter to his parents, they went to them in New York. Everyone treated her evenly. Moreover, he is not the first time married. Married and married. There were no complaints that she was Russian.

I did not communicate with his parents, but I had normal relations with him. I do not speak English, but he said something, and it was always nice. We talked positively, congratulated each other on holidays.

- When was the last time you saw your daughter?

- The last time we saw each other was in Krasnodar, in 2018, then she left for America, and everything started spinning. But we often talked on Skype. They last spoke on May 11, just before the police took her.

- Do your daughter and her spouse have children?

- No children. They planned, but not at the moment.

- How did your daughter go to jail, what is she accused of?

- Alina saw her husband’s love correspondence with another woman, could not resist and gave him a slap in the face. The husband ran away somewhere. She immediately said that she did not accept such a relationship. Family is a family. One husband, one wife. When she saw that he writes such things to other women, her emotions simply overwhelmed her. My daughter told me all this right away. Just we talked, then the doorbell rang. Her husband comes in with the police. She thought that nothing serious, and she was taken to prison at the request of her husband.

• © Photo from the personal archive

“Where is your daughter now?” 

“She sat in the San Luis Obispo County Prison for almost two days. And we were constantly called by some strange people, probably collectors who demanded that we send her money to prison. We contacted the prison administration ourselves and explained to us that Alina was offered to go out on bail of $ 50 thousand before the trial. We don’t have that kind of money. But here strange people call us and demand $ 4 thousand to get it out.

It is not clear who, but the telephone is American. When we called back, we got to the call center. I don’t understand English, so I couldn’t figure it out.

After she was detained, she managed to contact Alina through her friend from New York. She called him, he contacted me, and so we talked. Alina was released today, and now she is awaiting trial at a local hotel.

- Did you manage to contact Alina’s husband? Have you tried to negotiate?

- My husband limited all contacts, blocked me and my son, we can not get through. We tried to call from other numbers, but he does not pick up the phone. His friend calls Alina’s friends in New York and asks to tell her that it would be better if she admits herself mentally unstable. I don’t know how it could be better for her, but it will probably be easier for him to file for a divorce later.

- And what did Alina tell you when she was in prison? Were you allowed to contact her?

“She was given the right to talk on the phone for one minute.” I couldn’t really communicate, she herself did not know anything, she was suppressed. So we were completely in the dark.

I'm in shock now, I don’t know what to do, how to help my daughter. I don’t have big, and small money, I’m a pensioner. We are completely helpless.