A 19-year-old woman in Kelcyra was gang-raped by her boyfriend and his friends in a shocking attack that came to light this week.
The young woman was harassed and assaulted after her boyfriend threatened to publish an intimate video of her. According to media reports, two boys aged 17 and 18 were arrested on rape charges, and four others were detained on suspicions of sexual harassment.
Some 13 people have been questioned by police in relation to the attack.
This incident is just the latest example of the prevalence of gender-based violence in Albania. Last week there were two femicides in less than 24 hours, bringing the total to seven in 2020. Last year some 4000 court protection orders were issued against violent or threatening male family members, and over 100 women have been murdered in the last 18 years. Statistics show that at least one in two Albanian women will suffer domestic violence at least once in their life.
Almost exactly a year ago, a 13 year-old-girl in Kavaja was brutally gang-raped several times over a period of several months, including in her school. The police, school, and authorities tried to cover it up and did not follow through with investigations due to some of the seven accused having influential parents.
On Sunday, International Women’s Day, Albanians will protest against violence against women by marching from the Tirana Police Directorate to the Office of the Prime Minister. The event starts at 11 am outside the Directorate on Rruga Sami Frasheri and will proceed to the main boulevard at 11:30.
