ISSN 2239-978X Journal of Educational and Social Research Vol. 3 No. 7 ISSN 2240-0524 MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy October 2013 Pedophilia in Albania: Isolated Phenomenon or "Epidemic" Aleks Prifti University of Vlora, Ismail Qemali, Vlore, Albania E-mail: [email protected] Engjellushe Zenelaj University of Vlora, Ismail Qemali, Vlore, Albania E-mail: [email protected] Doi:10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n7p183 Abstract Pedophilia and sexual abuse offenses against morality and dignity of minors in Albania, presents a serious problem for the actual Albanian society, and to the future generation. Pedophilia is no longer an isolated phenomenon, but has become an "epidemic" of modern society. Other countries of the civilized world are affected by this phenomenon, but that they have the necessary legal mechanisms, social and psychological, and awareness of society which control and mitigate to the maximum of this phenomenon. The paper provides the latest optics on psychosocial aspects, legal and criminological phenomenon of pedophilia in Albania in recent years. From the review and analysis of comparative statistical data of justice and police aim to provide dynamics and trends of pedophilia taken during the study.Through this paper we intend to diagnose psycho-social factors, criminogenic causing the spread of this phenomenon with great impact on the family environment, social and political country. In addition, the article analyzes the problems of law, criminal policy, police preventive aspects, social and psychological measures and the involvement of all stakeholders towards reducing this disturbing phenomenon. In the paper, cases study were taken to several court cases to analyze typical problems that exist in the area of sentencing of some offenders. The paper is realized through a methodological approach combined with official statistical data, case studies, the authors study the profiles of sexual violence against minors, the phenomenology, social and psychological context etc. Keywords: Pedophilia, sexual abuse, puberty, pedopornografia, cibercrime, penal policy 1. Problematic of pedophilia in Albania and dilemmas!? The minor sexual violence in Albania, in recent years, has become a problem of great concern to social opinion. This is because in Albania, even though the numbers show that there is a growing number of authors of sexual crimes on minors, not counting the number of victims is high, state institutions remain far approaches to the prevention policy for this brutal phenomenon. Tragic cases of abuse, and macabre murder of a 11 year old child, kidnapping of a minor next 13 years in Tirana, by the same sexual maniac author in 2013, and several other cases of pedophilia, within a span of time is short this year, have put to the dilemma public opinion and civil society, how defend and how prepared we are to face these situations and to avoid this horrific cases, while it seems that preventive measures against this phenomenon, aren’t still at the appropriate level. Increasing the number of sex crimes on minors has recently prompted political, legal, criminal and media debate. The size and the geographical distribution that has taken the phenomen, the number of victims, increases the importance finding adequate solutions to this worrying phenomenon. It is imperative that the authors of this paper try to provide assistance through the elaboration of this phenomenon by increasing the relevant hypotheses and recommendations on what to do in this society and institutions incandescent situation to prevent this brutal "pedoepidemic". Seeking the roots of such phenomenon have to go a little back in time, when in the totalitarian past system this phenomenon was considered taboo and not given any information about this problem, which although was present according to statistics available now. Problematic of pedophilia will be complicated after 1990, when the Albanian society came out of isolation after 50 years, during which from state repression and violence, was a delinquent and deviant behaviors compression to many socio-minded individuals and disorderly personality or those who had experienced 183 ISSN 2239-978X Journal of Educational and Social Research Vol. 3 No. 7 ISSN 2240-0524 MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy October 2013 domestic violence episodes of various forms of sexual to them. Perhaps this is the reason why the main part of statistics for author of sexual crime on minor age, are over 50 years old, born before 1980. The analysis of the data available for this phenomenon, deduce that the specific crime of pedophilia in Albania, is the increasing number of cases sexual violence against minors, and victimization of minors up to 14 years, the cruelty of violent acts, more involvement in acts of elderly pedophile, incestual pedophile , or cases of forced sexual exploitation of minors. Faced with this shocking social reality, devastating the lives of victims and victims' families alarm, has sparked controversy and dilemma in public opinion, among which: Should much tougher penal system against pedophiles? Could the perpetrators be isolated or castrated? What to do society, institutions and organizations to educate more families and minors about the dangers that can happen? 2. Aspects of the dynamics of sexual violence against minors Looking at the dynamic aspect, sexual crimes against minors, for the decade 2002-2012 point out a considerable volume of these crimes compared with the total number of sex crimes that occurred in Albania in this period (Police, 2012). For the period 2002-2012, were recorded by police, courts and track 375 issues associated with minors victims of sexual violence. According to official data of the Ministry of Justice for the period 2002-2009, 107 cases were followed for sex or homosexual minors under 14 years, and 86 cases of sexual or homosexual relationship with violence, with infant 14-18 (Minisrty of Justice, 2010), 67 issues for indecency with a minor, incest 4 cases, and 23 cases of trafficking of minors (see Table 1). Draws attention to the fact that, of the 25 sexual crimes processed by Justice in 2009, 21 of them are passive sexual crimes with a minor subject. This indicates a somewhat alarm in terms of sexual victimization of minors, which requires the necessary scientific interpretations of research centers and civil society as well as proposals for policy makers and executives to improve the situation and prevent the victimization of minors. Disturbing is the fact that, in recent years there has been a growing trend, the specific weight of cases of sexual/homosexual violence with minors. According to statistics, the total number of cases of pedophilia investigated for the years 2002-2012, 159 cases or 73.6% of them have occurred in the last 5 years 2008-2012. According to observations made by us, cases of sexual crimes against minors in relation to the total number of sexual crimes have increased as a trend. Thus, in the last 5 years, from 2008 to 2012, cases of pedophilia make a specific weight of 48.77%, compared with the total number of sexual crimes recorded by the police for these years. In 2008, 36.8% of which constituted sexual crimes with minors in relation to sexual crimes in general, in 2012 they increased to 50% (Police G. D., 2012). Even in comparison with the number, of abused women, for this period, the injured minors constituted 50.17% of their (Police G. D., 2012), which shows a high incidence of frequency of occurrence of these crimes. According to recent research (interviews with minors 4351), shows that the prevalence of sexual harassment, to minors is 11%, while the incidence is 9%, while the prevalence of sexual violence 4.9%, and the incidence is 4%1 . The high percentage of prevalence of sexual harassment is related to the greatest number of the authors with adult age, over 60 years old. Regarding sexual harassment victims by gender shows that girls reported prevalence is 8%, whereas homosexual boys harassment is 14%, while the incidence is reported 6% for girls and 13% for boys. Regarding sexual violence is reported a prevalence of 2% for girls and for homosexual violenc for boys is 8%. While the incidence is about 1.5% for girls and 7.5% for boys2. Albanian reality, shows that physical and psychological violence is more present in the environment in which many children grow, which become influential factors in criminal behavior of authors of sexual violence against minors. Even in a study conducted by the WHO, in Albania, shows that the prevalence of sexual abuse was significantly higher among male students (8.8%) than in females (4.7%). Abuses, according to questionnaires, were associated with the rural environment of birth, parental education, parental unemployment and the low level of household income. 1 Children’s Human Rights Centre of Albania (CRCA) presented at a BECAN National Conference the results of the study “Violence against Children in Albania in the framework of the Balkan Epidemiologic Study on Child Abuse and Neglect (B.E.C.A.N). 19 January 2013 2 Children’s Human Rights Centre of Albania (CRCA) presented at a BECAN National Conference the results of the study “Violence against Children in Albania in the framework of the Balkan Epidemiologic Study on Child Abuse and Neglect (B.E.C.A.N). 19 January 2013 184 ISSN 2239-978X Journal of Educational and Social Research Vol. 3 No. 7 ISSN 2240-0524 MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy October 2013 The trend of sexual violence against minors over the past two years has increased the cases of pedophilia, although not reported in official statistics because all opinion, shame, fear, impunity, etc...During 2012 were registered 47 reports of sexual violence against children by non-governmental organizations and official statistics listed only 22 cases. The number of cases of sexual/homosexual minors violence is also significant growth in 2013, which is becoming almost "epidemic".