Albanian citizens protested in the center of Tirana this morning following the brutal kidnap and murder of an eight-year-old boy earlier this week in Fier.
As well as activists and public members, several politicians attended, including Speaker of Parliament Lindita Nikolla. She said the murder was a “serious event” and said the reinstatement of the death penalty is not the right decision.
“My involvement is the involvement of a mother, a citizen, and a parliamentary speaker. As an institution, we are at an important moment…laws need to be enforced, but community awareness in communities is needed to denounce violence.”
Asked about a petition circulating to reinstate the death sentence that was abolished after the fall of communism in the early 90s, she said bringing it back is not the right move.
She noted that parliament is looking at creating a register of child sex offenders and other kinds of offenders in the country.
The man accused of the murder, who has also admitted to it, is believed to have a history of mental health issues and a criminal record, including the kidnapping of a young woman.
Yesterday, Bora Muzhaqi, the minister of state for youth and children, refused to answer any questions on the murder and the current situation. Instead, she said she was busy and had to go.
