Reports of sexual harassment double / Korça, Tirana and Vlora top the list

Considered a taboo decades ago, reports of sexual harassment are becoming more visible in Albanian society, and as a result, the number of cases referred to justice institutions is increasing. Official data from the State Police show that year by year, the number of reports of sexual harassment is rising.

In the past five years, cases of sexual harassment have doubled. Just last year, 89 cases were registered in Albania, twice as many as in 2021. According to lawyers, in most cases sexual harassment involves secret connections and originates from social media networks.

“The increase has come because social media has gained extraordinary access, and these are often secret relationships. There is also a lack of awareness of the serious consequences that the state punishes for this offense,” said lawyer Ylli Kameri. Korça, Tirana, and Vlora are the three districts with the highest number of sexual crimes, including harassment.

“Due to the nature of how sexual harassment occurs, the main reporters are women,” Kameri added. Lawyers note that most perpetrators do not realize the risks they face when committing sexual harassment. “A perpetrator of sexual harassment risks 7–15 years in prison under certain circumstances, and no less than 5 years in other cases,” Kameri explained.

According to specialists, in most cases identifying the perpetrator is difficult when harassment happens on social media. For this reason, they suggest that private investigators also be granted access to the cybercrime section, where sexual harassment is most evident.

“KORÇA BOOM”