An Albanian domestic violence support charity has sounded the alarm over the situation for women and girls in the country over the last seven weeks of COVID-19 lockdown.
Sevim Arbana, Director of Useful to Albanian Women which provides shelter, legal support, counselling, mentoring, training, and general support to survivors of domestic violence called on the government to do more to protect them.
In a Facebook post, she referenced two recent cases where a 17-year-old was sexually abused, and a three-year-old suffered extreme violence. She also previously told Exit that calls to her centre were up 40%.
“Strict steps must be taken to ensure that anyone experiencing domestic abuse can seek protection during the COVID-19 crisis, and be placed in a safe location. The government should say loud and clear that people should leave home if they have to do this for their safety. People need to know that services are open to them.”
The government recently amended the criminal code to allow prison sentences of up to 15 years for those that violate lockdown measures, such as leaving the house without a permit. Arbana believes this could be putting women off leaving abusive situations, therefore putting them in more danger.
She added that domestic violence services and their workers should be classified as “essential” and they should receive assistance from the state in their financial packages. This would help to ensure their services remain open at a time when it is difficult to raise funds.
The state could also provide help numbers, websites, and online chat functions with easily accessible contact details across all media platforms. These should include social media, electronic and printed media, public messages, and notices in supermarkets, shops and other public locations.
Arbana said these notices should include ways to contact and warn police about the urgent need for assistance. She suggested the use of code words for doctors or nurses so an abused individual could alert them to abuse without it being obvious to an abuser.
She said that; “law enforcement agencies should submit complaints and take immediate and effective measures while ensuring the safety and security of victims.”
Women and children showing signs of physical, sexual, or domestic abuse should be provided with medical care, psychological treatment and legal assistance. This is especially necessary for rural and remote areas, she said.
Exit previously revealed how a woman at immediate risk of domestic violence was placed on hold when calling for emergency help. She made a total of 18 calls to authorities; some were disconnected and the others were placed on hold. None out of the 18 calls were answered.
Thankfully, the woman was able to escape but Arbana said this is not a one-off situation.
“They always answer too late. If you call 112, you must wait a long time or they don’t even answer. They play music for a long time. It happens a lot to women I speak with,” she said.
