Criminal offenses increased in 2020, including attempted murder, stalking, assault, blackmail and theft, according to data published by the Albanian Institute of Statistics, INSTAT.
During the year, there were 6,375 criminal offenses against a person registered, a 3.6% increase on the previous year. These offenses accounted for almost 20% of all criminal offenses recorded. For the crimes committed, 7,605 people were arrested, again, an increase on the year before.
2020 saw 52 murders, 114 attempted murders, and seven cases of manslaughter. In 2019 there were more murders but significantly less attempted murders. When it comes to death threats, there were 1,233 incidences recorded by 1386 individuals, more than the previous year.
In terms of assaults, 146 serious and intentional injuries were recorded along with 1,069 non-serious but intentional assaults. Other forms of intentional harm totaled 1305. In total, there were around 2,500 assaults reported to the police in 2020, equivalent to almost seven a day.
The police recorded 146 sexual crimes, including rape and molestation, in 2020. This represents a slight decrease from 2019, where 155 cases were recorded.
The second most common form of crime in Albania in 2020, after the assault, was crimes against children, marriage and the family.
INSTAT recorded 46 instances of abandoning a minor child, and five instances of trafficking children. This number is believed to be much higher in reality as Albania remains a source, transit, and sometimes destination country for trafficking in children.
1505 incidents of domestic violence were recorded by INSTAT, an increase of nearly 200 from the previous year. This data does not correspond with the data published by the state police. Data provided to Exit from the police detailed 4,701 complaints of domestic violence in 2020 with just 615 prosecutions, a prosecution rate of just 13%.
It’s not clear how INSTAT and official police data differ by more than 3,000 incidents. Exit has contacted INSTAT for clarification.
Under a heading called “Crimes against morality and dignity”, suggesting that sex workers are immoral and undignified, there were reported 19 cases of prostitution compared with 19 the previous year. 60 cases of exploiting sex workers, or ‘pimping’ were also identified. Stalking saw 156 cases registered throughout the year.
