From: Alice Taylor
Members of civil society have created a petition addressed to the women of Albanian parliament and government, demanding answers to 13 questions relating to sexual and gender-based violence and their criminal penalties.
The questions they have asked include the following:
- What are the forms of punishment provided for the criminal offence of rape in the Criminal Code? Are there any plans to change it? If so, what are the proposed initiatives?
- In previous instances of rape, to what extent were offenders convicted? How many received maximum sentences, how many received reduced sentences, and how many were released prematurely?
- Are there different degrees of rape defined in the Criminal Code? For example, repeated rape, blackmail, gang rape, etc
- How is the victim’s privacy protected by law and what measures are taken to guarantee it? What are the punishments for violators of victims’ privacy? Will the privacy law be amended to guarantee the rights of victims and their families? What measures will be taken to punish the media that violates the right to privacy of victims?
- What is the procedure of the responsible institutions to psychologically, physically and financially protect the victim and their family? How is it implemented?> Has an assessment been made to determine its functionality in previous cases?
- What is the procedure for hiring psychologists in pre-university education? How many psychologists are employed today?
- What is the procedure for hiring staff in pre-university education? Do these individuals go through a filtering process, as part of their job, they are in direct contact with minors?
- Where should a victim go to denounce violence, what further steps await him? Do you think people are sufficiently informed about these steps? If not, are measures being taken to increase information?
- Have information campaigns been undertaken in the media, in education and public order institutions for informing and raising public awareness on cases of sexual violence and civic and legal responsibility in the prevention and protection of the victim? Will such campaigns be held after the recent events?
- Have public campaigns been undertaken to encourage victims of violence to report crimes committed against them? Have public campaigns been undertaken to inform in advance of the procedures that potential denunciators of sexual violence will face? Are such campaigns planned in the future; how will they develop?
The petitioners have asked for a response to the questions as per the law on freedom of information. They hope that “this case will serve to change public discourse in relation to sexual violence, the accountability of state institutions, and will foster comprehensive public information and productive discussion.”
