Albania Apology for a murder or a chronicle of warned misery?

January 6, 2008

Comment: The press review selected this article because it presents the reality of a widespread crime nowadays in Albania, the crime within the family which consecutively gives birth to potential risk of exploitation of abandoned minors.

An abused mother who kills her husband. The mother is imprisoned, thus the children are left alone with no care by their relatives or the state structures. Living in total poverty and lack of protection, these abandoned children represent a category of minors at a high risk of being trafficked for prostitution or other purposes.

Analyzing the article from the ethical point of view, we can say that the identity of one of the minors involved in this specific case was revealed in TV before its revelation in this article. The TV Channel had previously exposed the face of the 12 years old girl, her name, the full name of her mother, as well as the location of the hut where the family lived. It is more than obvious that media has still a lot to learn on the way of reporting issues related to child trafficking.

(This Press review is under the framework of EIDHR funded project, implemented jointly with CiLPS Albania)