Albania The minor shocking testimony in the court room. The British Brown 'Drowned'

May 22, 2008

Comment: The David Brown case is one of the most calumniated cases in Albania in terms of sexual abuse and pedophilia. After about 2 years the suspect was held in custody, finally he appeared in court yesterday. This short article puts an emphasis on the testimony of one minor, who was able to describe in details characteristic parts of the body of the defendant through a videoconference in the next court room, so he would not be affected by the presence of the defendant in the room. The child testified in the presence of a psychologist what he went through during his stay in “His children” center.

Two other defendants of British nationality are waiting to appear in court as soon as a date will be set for their trial. According to the Albanian criminal code, Article 7 “The foreign citizen who commits a criminal act within the territory of the Republic of Albania responds on the basis of the criminal law of the Republic of Albania.” Such law shall be applicable in the case of the two deported defendants Christodulou and Arnold.

It has to be appreciated the fact that the identity of the minor was preserved for the best interest of the child complying so with the UN Convention of Child’s Rights. Another important step is the presence of the psychologist in the court room while the child was testifying.

Moreover, the journalist has been very careful also in preserving the identity of the child; no name or pictures were shown in the article. Not many journalists, though, are child concerned. We can recall the recent case of another national newspaper which published the full testimonies of the children on Brown’s case, giving their names and inappropriate details. However, let’s hope that more and more newspapers will follow the same model aiming at child safety.

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More press reviews on the trial of David Brown: Shqip, Panorama, Gazeta Shqiptare