Prime Minister Edi Rama has compared criticism levied against Minister of Education Besa Shahini, to rape.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Rama said the media and the Opposition are using the case of the repeated rape of a 15-year-old girl by her school guard, to “rape” Shahini.
“Unfortunately, a victim is used in this way, consciously or unconsciously. They have turned the victim into a stick to rape others. You are a rapist, you have raped them again.
I don’t believe those who publicly violate the Minister of Education, a woman, and who talk about the rights of mothers, are worried about that victim. You cannot protect one victim by abusing another.
With the greatest shamelessness, all kindness of hyenas have attacked the minister, they want to minister of education to deal with the case in public or for the ministry to take measures, but it has taken them.”
Rama then accused those who are drawing attention to the issue, of stopping victims of abuse from coming forward.
Members of civil society have been calling for Shahini to resign as news of the most recent case came to light. Thousands of residents marched through Tirana last night, along the Boulevard, Skanderbeg Square and to the Ministry of Education to demand changes in society to combat gender-based violence and sexual abuse.
Shahini implied that the Municipality was responsible for hiring the guard who raped the schoolgirl. She then said that “Municipalities must keep in mind that school staff must have integrity.”
The director of the school that the girl attended has been suspended from duty.
