The justice system in Albania unprepared
for pedophilia: 98 child sexual abusers regain freedom!
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Investigation in numbers
151
Analyzed court decisions
45
Requests for information
628
Court decisions downloaded from ICMIS & ARK-IT database 2010-2019
10
Years of statistics analyzed
Pedophilia Database
Sex crimes trend in the last ten years(2010-2019)
Note:The chart shows the trend of sex crimes against children under 14 years old during the period 2010-2019, based on decisions of courts of first instance in compliance with the seven Articles of the Criminal Law. To see the trend of only one or some Articles, click on the following legend to deactivate the other Articles.
Pedophile cases in Albania in the last ten years (based on decisions of courts of first instance)
Note: : The map shows sex crimes against children under 14 years old during the period 2010-2019 at national level, giving percentile data on districts by clicking on each of them. In order to see the reflection on the map and chart of just one or some Articles, click on the following legend to deactivate the other Articles.
Careful! The data presented on districts are only based on official statistics of decisions of courts of first instance. However, they should be accepted as partly accurate because there can also be pedophilia cases in other districts that have not been tracked down or reported to the respective authorities for a number of social-cultural factors.
The gender ratio of the abusers in sex crimes against children under 14 years old in Albania (2010-2019)
The age group of sexual abusers in sex crimes against children under 14 years old in Albania (2010-2019)
Age 16-26 27-37 38-48 49-59 Over 60
Cases 50 15 13 18 25
The age group of sexual abusers in sex crimes against children under 14 years old in Albania (2010-2019)
The gender ratio of victims of sex crimes against children under 14 years old in Albania (2010-2019)
The age groups of victims of sex crimes against children under 14 years old in Albania (2010-2019)
Age 0-4 5-9 10-14
Cases 2 48 109
Types of sex crimes against children under 14 years old
Freed child abuser
The whereabouts of 98 pedophiles released from prison after serving their sentence for sex crimes against children
Alternative content for the map
Alternative content for the legend
Note! The map shows the whereabouts of 98 pedophiles who have served their sentence and are now free in their dwellings. Based on the analysis of 50% of the decisions given by the courts during the period 2010-2019, we can confirm that “pedophilia is a mental disorder which can be kept under control through medication but, despite this, no complementary punishment has been given for their medical treatment. Investigation bodies have also proved that 25% of pedophiles are recidivists and, considering the typology of the disorder, the risk of repeating the same crime cannot be ruled out. For this reason, MediaLook has given a graphical picture of their whereabouts, respecting the privacy of personal data of the persons who have committed the sex crimes.
  • In order to see the reflection on the map of just one or some Articles, click on the following legend to deactivate the other Articles.
  • You can click or hold the mouse arrow on each spot in order to see the whereabouts, the abuser-victim relation, and the time of sentence served.
The abuser-victim relation in sex crimes against children under 14 years old
Note:The chart and the table show the relationship between the abuser and the victim in sex crimes against children under 14 years old divided into cities/towns where the crime has taken place, including only persons who have served their sentence and have been released from prison. The statistics have been filtered into six categories of relations and contacts between the aggressor and the child. What we can notice is that the cities/towns with the biggest number of sexual predators who have been set free are Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan, and Korça, where there live some 61 pedophiles who have served their sentence. 41 of them have committed sex crimes against children, eight of which using violence. The alarm is multiplied when you learn that Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Sections at the Local Police Departments in the endangered cities don’t have more than two officers who, among other cases, are required to observe sexual predators.
Father-child Family relation Neighborhood/friendship Affectionate relationship Occasional relationship Online contact
Tiranë 5 8 22 3 9 1
Durrës 2 4 8 1 5 0
Korçë 1 0 4 8 0 0
Elbasan 1 2 6 2 2 0
Shkodër 1 1 2 0 4 0
Fier 3 1 1 0 0 1
Vlorë 2 0 1 0 2 0
Dibër 1 0 1 1 0 0
Gjirokastër 0 0 0 2 0 0
Pogradec 0 1 3 0 1 0
Lezhë 0 0 0 2 0 0
Krujë 0 1 2 0 0 0
Berat 0 2 2 0 1 2
Lushnje 0 0 3 0 0 2
Laç 0 0 1 0 0 0
Kukës 0 1 0 0 0 0
Sarandë 0 0 1 0 0 0
Kavajë 0 1 1 1 0 0
Mirditë 0 0 1 0 0 0
Pukë 0 0 1 0 0 0
Shijak 1 0 0 0 0 0
Total 16 22 60 20 24 6
Family relation Neighborhood/friendship Affectionate relationship Occasional relationship Online contact
Totali 38 60 20 24 6
The typology of sex crime based on the relation between the abuser and the victim
Note:The chart and the table show the type of sex crime based on the relation between the abuser and the victim, including only persons who have served their sentence and have been released from prison. It is evident that more than half of sex predators, 47 of them, have served their sentence for “sexual or homosexual relations with children under 14 years old”, 17 of which using violence. This statistics demonstrates the seriousness of the crime. In addition, we can point out that 25 of these criminal offences have been committed within the family, while 32 of them have been committed by neighbors or friends of the victim’s family.
Father-child Family relation Neighborhood/friendship Affectionate relationship Occasional relationship Online contact
Article 100/1 2 4 5 16 2 1
Article 100/2 2 3 7 3 2 0
Article 107 0 0 0 0 0 0
Article 108/1 0 2 18 1 5 0
Article 108/2 4 5 2 0 2 0
Article 108/4 0 1 1 0 1 0
Article 108/a/2 1 1 5 0 1 0
Article 117 0 0 0 0 0 1
Article 121/a/3 0 0 4 0 0 0
Total 9 16 32 20 13 2
Family relation Neighborhood/friendship Affectionate relationship Occasional relationship Online contact
Totali 25 32 20 13 2
The justice system unprepared for pedophilia
in 151 court decisions

for sex crimes against children under 14 years old use the term “pedophile”.

of the crime detection

in 151 cases of sex crimes against children under 14 years old have come from state structures.

of investigations

into cases of online pedophilia have been finalized with a conviction court decision during the period 2014-2019.

of court decisions

for sex crimes have been finalized with a termination of parental responsibility when the father has sexualy abused his child.

of court decisions

for sex crimes against children under 14 years old (2010-2019) have issued a complementary punishment for the medical treatment of the pedophile.

or 48 pedophiles

who have regained their freedom are under surveillance by two police officers in Tirana.

“Red Flag” decisions
Vlora District Court  |   Decision no. 1455, dated 07/04/2016

!A 16-year-old boy had forced sexual relations with a male child. The Court based its decision on a psychological-psychiatric evaluation of the abuser, claiming that “the defendant has previously been exposed to such acts, which he distortedly considers as games among children”. Based on the psychologic evaluation and a notary declaration of the victim’s father, the Court altered the classification of the offence from paragraph 2, which envisages 25 years of imprisonment, to paragraph 1, which envisages 7-15 years of imprisonment. In the end, the 16-year-old boy received a conviction of 2 years and 8 moths of imprisonment!!!

Tirana District Court  |  , Decision no. 1190, dated 26/03/2014

!A 40-year-old man committed shameful deeds in the elevator against a 9-year-old girl. While controlling his PC, the police found a number of pornographic materials with photos of nude little girls. Despite this, the Court sentenced him to 2 years in prison, but decided to release him on bail, forbidding him to stay in the company of other convicted individuals as a complementary punishment. The hard evidence of pornographic photos with children, although strengthening the fact that the abuser has pedophilic traits, was not taken into consideration by the Court at least to give a complementary punishment for medical treatment in order to prevent the repetition of similar offences by the defendant.

Tirana District Court  |  , Decision no. 62, dated 21/02/2017

!The father committed “shameful deeds” by continuously touching his two little daughters in intimate parts. The father admitted to having abused with his daughters and asked for a short criminal procedure. The Court lowered the conviction, based on the fact that the father was not violent, he regretted what he had done, and the girls had not made resistance. This offence deserves a conviction of 3-7 years in prison, while the Court gave a conviction of 2 years and 40 days of imprisonment.

Tirana District Court  |  , Decision no. 2566, dated 22.06.2016

!A 17-year-old boy had repeatedly committed “shameful deeds” against his 6-year old cousin (girl). He showed regret and admitted the harassment against his cousin. In its decision, the Court stated that “this is a game for the defendant” and took into consideration “the fact that there is no evidence of physical or mental damage on the victim”, and “the fact that the defendant is obviously physically and mentally immature”. These remarks were made by the Court itself, not by respective experts. This offence deserves a conviction of 5-10 years in prison, while the Court released the defendant on bail (2 years).

Symbols and logos used by pedophiles to identify their sexual preferences
Symbol 1

Pedophiles who desire minor girls (girl lovers) are presented with a heart-shaped logo. This symbol consists of a little heart, which represents the minor girl, wrapped by a bigger heart, which represents the male or female pedophile.

Symbol 2

Pedophiles who aim for minor boys (boy lovers) are identified by a triangular spiral-shaped logo. The little triangle, that symbolizes the minor boy, is wrapped by a bigger triangle, representing the pedophile. When the sexual predator is in search of a very little boy (little boy lover), the logo is similar but the triangle has curved angles.

Symbol 3

Sexual predators who want to abuse a child, regardless of gender (child lovers), are presented with a butterfly-shaped logo, meaning that the pedophile does not mind if it’s a male or female. Meanwhile, in online blogs, pedophiles use a circular-shaped logo, within which there is the triangle spiral and the heart spiral. The CLOMAL logo also represents the logo of “Childlove online media activism”.

Elvin Luku
The justice system in Albania unprepared for pedophilia: 98 child sexual abusers regain freedom! Read more
Artan Fuga
Sexual crime and exploitation against children on the web Read more
Hasan Saliu
Childrens in Kosovo endangered online! 17% of them see sexual content every day Read more
Facts and Myths
01 Myth: Children are prone to sexual harassment by strangers
Fact: Sexual harassment against children is mainly committed by persons that are part of the close family circle, acquaintances or neighbors. The observation of MediaLook on the identified cases, about which there is a decision from the Court of First Instance, shows that pedophiles are persons who have great access to the children in time and space.
02 Myth: Children who have been victims of sexual abuse will suffer the consequences of the trauma throughout their life.
Fact: Many studies have reached to the conclusion that sexual abuse in childhood has long-term consequences in adolescence, marriage, and parental life. However, reliable studies also state that adequate treatment of such trauma, parental tenderness and care, as well as friendship greatly reduce the negative effects, and the victim can lead a healthy life.
03 Myth: Children make up stories of sexual abuse!
Fact: Observations at world level prove that the number of false accusations by children for sexual abuse is far lower than that of children who hide the abuse. The fabrication of such stories from children is very rare. It is impossible for children to make up a story out of nothing, but they can add details and actions that have not happened but on an image or action they have previously seen or experienced.
04 Myth: Individuals who commit sexual abuse against children are pedophile.
Fact: A sexual abuser of children may or may not fulfill the criteria to be categorized as a pedophile. The categorization as a pedophile can be given only by a qualified person after carrying out a medical expertise of the individual. Usually, pedophiles are persons over 16 years old who have sexual relations with children who have not reached puberty (under 14 years old). The aggressor may be a male or a female; homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual; in a relation or single; of any ethnicity, or social-economic group.
05 Myth: An adult who suspects that a child has been a victim of sexual abuse should question the child about this
Fact: An adult who suspects a case of sexual abuse must be careful not to ask the child leading questions that might upset him or her further or contaminate the child’s testimony. Any instance of suspected child sexual abuse must be reported to the authorities. In such circumstances, the adult should avoid certain phrases, but at the same time, tell the child what he or she observes, such as changes in behaviour, and remain open and receptive. If the information confided to the adult suggests that sexual abuse is taking place or has taken place or if the adult has reason to believe that the child’s security or development is in danger, he or she must report the situation.
06 Myth: Children who are victims of sexual abuse will suffer the effects of this trauma for the rest of their lives
Fact: Sexual abuse can have serious short- and long- term consequences for children who have been victimized, but certain conditions, such as the support of family and friends, are known to help victims cope. Many studies have shown that childhood sexual abuse can have a wide range of consequences that carry into adulthood and across multiple spheres of functioning. In other words, not only can childhood sexual abuse have lasting effects throughout adulthood, but the effects can take new forms in adulthood, affecting marital and parental life as well.
Conclusions

The justice system is unprepared for treating the problem of Pedophilia. In only 1 out of a total of 151 court decisions on sex crimes against children under 14 years old in the last 10 years has the term “pedophile” been mentioned, and an expertise has been conducted to diagnose it. However, no complementary punishment has been given for their medical treatment (Article 60/11), even though 25% of them have been confirmed by investigation bodies as recidivists.

None of the 98 sexual abusers who have regained their freedom has been identified by the justice system as pedophile, and none of them has undergone compulsory medical treatment, thus returning into a constant threat for the children. The most endangered cities are Tirana, Durrës, Elbasan, Korça where there live some 61 of minor sexual abusers. 41 of them have committed sex crimes against children, eight of which using violence. In Tirana, there are only 2 police officers assigned for the surveillance of 48 free child sexual offenders.

Sex crimes against children are mainly committed by acquaintances and family members. 60 out of 151 cases or 40.5% of sexual abuses against children come from neighbors or relatives. The latter are responsible for some 21 shameful deeds and sexual relations in 12 cases, 7 of which using violence.

In 16 cases of parent-child sex crimes, only the Dibra District Court in 2016 has given a complementary punishment for the termination of parental responsibilities, in addition to the conviction of the pedophile father with 15 years of imprisonment.

From a total of 128 investigations started during the period January 2014 – June 2019 on online pedophilia (Article 117), only 14 of them have been finalized, 12 of which have been dismissed and two have been sent to court. These two cases have been finalized with a conviction. Prosecutors in Tirana assert that the materials submitted by the police do not contain enough evidence. The head of CRCA says: “The police lack adequate technology!”

The Albanian legislation has obvious gaps on the conviction of online sex crimes against children. Every form of abuse is categorized in Article 117 only as Pornography. Meanwhile, the Criminal Law does not envisage offenses such as “grooming” or ‘sexting”, as in many other countries.

The creation of an electronic registry is recommended for the registration of the authors of sex crimes, by profiling them into categories according to their potential risk. Surveillance by the Local Police through surveillance files must be accompanied by a program aimed at their reintegration in the society, including Community Service, which is applied in developed countries. This information would help in making court decisions not only focused on punishment, but also on rehabilitation.

About 68.5% of victims of sexual abuse in Albania are children aged 10-14 years old, followed by 30% aged 5-9 years old, and 1% aged 1-4 years old. Regarding the gender ratio of the victims, from a total of 131 children identified, 93 are females and 38 are males. From a total of 111 sexual abusers identified, 50 of them or 45% of the cases belong to the age group 16-26 years old, followed by 22.5% or 25 of the sexual predators over 60 years old, and 16.2% or 18 sexual aggressors aged 49-59 years old.

Children in Kosovo are in continuous contact with sexual content on the internet and social networks. About 29% of minors and children aged 11-16 years old have seen images of sexual content at least twice a week in Kosovo during the last 12 months.

Definitions

Pedophilia according World Health Organization (source: ICD-11, April 2019)

Pedophilia is characterized by a sustained, focused, and intense pattern of sexual arousal – as manifested by persistent sexual thoughts, fantasies, urges, or behaviors – involving pre-pubertal children. In addition, in order for Pedophilic Disorder to be diagnosed, the individual must have acted on these thoughts, fantasies or urges or be markedly distressed by them. This diagnosis does not apply to sexual behaviors among pre- or post-pubertal children with peers who are close in age.

Pedophilia according American Psychiatric Association (Source DSM-5). We classify a Pedophilic disorder:

  • Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children (generally age 13 years or younger).
  • The individual has acted on these sexual urges, or the sexual urges or fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.
  • The individual is at least age 16 years and at least 5 years older than the child or children in Criterion A

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