Author: Dallandyshe Xhaferri
"This country is a real gift for sex tourists who are looking for the best escorts", - this is how the website describes it Escort Guide Albania. Meanwhile, on the "Sinjalizo" platform, there have been complaints from various citizens that "online sexual Services are easily accessible in the country".
During the investigation of "Sinjalizo", it turned out that in the country they offer such online Services with dozens of websites, in which Albanian or foreign girls announce in their catalog their age, country of origin, city where they offer the service and the corresponding prices for online/live sex' and for physical meetings.
Online prostitution, search filter by city
Over 815 girls promote themselves and offer sexual Services, online or offline, in 7 different agencies on web pages, which are also accessible to minors. They are mostly foreign nationals from Latin American countries, Turkey, the Caucasus and Russia.
It is enough to click on the name of the city and then you are immediately familiar with the data of the service providers, while some of them include in the catalog the 'attractive videos' published in the personal account on TikTok.
'Atlas Escorts' informs clients of the 'features' of girls in Tirana, Elbasan, Durrës, Vlorë and Shkodër, 'helping' them in their choice. According to the description published on the web "clients in Tirana can find students who want to spend adventures and attractive young girls, mature and ready to fulfill every desire of the client".
How much does online prostitution cost?
The 26-year-old is introduced under the name Hana, who in her catalog in 'Escort News' is identified as an 'independent worker' in Tirana, while for the provision of the service, clients must pay 100 euros for 30 minutes and 280 euros for 1 and a half hours.
Albjona introduces herself as a girl of Albanian nationality, who offers sexual Services in Tirana on behalf of 'Euro Girls Escorts.com'. The price that customers have to pay ranges from 300 euros for 1 hour to 3000 euros for 24 hours. Customers have 'rated' the 21-year-old with '5 stars', while in her catalog there is also a video posted on the TikTok account.
Lea, 30 years old with Italian nationality, makes public for her clients a video shared on TikTok, while in order to have sex, clients have to pay from 150 euros for one hour to 2000 euros for 24 hours. Meanwhile, known as 'Summer boy', the 30-year-old Brazilian informs in his catalog that male or female clients must pay 200 euros for 30 minutes for the service performed in Tirana, while another male escort, introduced as a 25-year-old man of Albanian nationality offers his service 50 euros for one hour and 200 euros for 2 hours.
Online prostitution widespread in the country, but still not regulated by law
"Prostitution, as an illegal and psycho-socially damaging activity, mainly for the service provider, has recently taken on new forms, also aided by technology",- sociologist Marsida Simo says for "Sinjalizo", who emphasizes that "as a whole, the way prostitution is organized is harmful with or has physical contact".
"I'm not talking about tax evasion, I'm less worried about that. I'm talking about illegality in the way intimacy is sold and bought, which starts virtually, but can also follow with physical contact, against payment", - she continues, affirming that "the data show that it is the girls who are mostly involved in these activities, where their age is often under 18".
Lawyer Bledar Meminaj says about "Sinjalizo" that "Our jurisprudence so far has occurred before the cases of the criminal offense of prostitution which have met the criterion of physical contact between the subjects", - adding that- "the second element to have the objective side of the criminal offense of prostitution is that this relationship is accompanied by a reward, be it in money or other valuables",- concludes Meminaj.
"We need an update of the Criminal Code",- says lawyer Stefan Tollapi, who asserts that Albanian justice has previously dealt with online prostitution, but the lack of physical contact has caused the charge "for practicing prostitution" to be dropped.
"In the case I defended, the client employed girls in their 20s who gave online shows. The cases brought by the police were exaggerated, as legally there was no 'Exploitation of prostitution' and 'Prostitution' ", he says, adding that "it could be included in pornography, but this too has a lot of discussion".
'Hot chat' easily accessible, while 'exploitation for prostitution' multiplies
Registration on "Jasemin.com" was seen as a legitimate way to provide income for 9 young girls from Tirana, who exposed private parts of their bodies in online chats with people from all over the world before being arrested by the Albanian police. .
"From these mutual actions, payments are made in a value determined on a case-by-case basis, ½ of which is withheld by the jasemin.com company, the rest goes through banking actions, with each of the girls receiving the relevant part of the value per unit of time spent online ",- says lawyer Meminaj, who adds that "these citizens were informed at the KKB that this activity was not prohibited by law in the country".
Sociologist Simo connects the reason why online prostitution is spreading in the country with the fact that this type of prostitution "seen as less harmful because there is no physical contact, the provider is more protected, and can mask or cover part of the face to maintain privacy", says Simo, for "Sinjalizo", while adding that there are also cases when young people are unprepared for the offer of 'hot chat'.
"I can tell you the case of a girl who was a student and received an offer from a stranger on social networks. The boy in question, some 10 years older than the student, first asked for her help to teach him in the subjects she was studying which coincided with the latter's interest". says Simo, adding that- "While she was explaining, the boy masturbated. He then told her the true purpose of online dating and offered her a substantial sum of money if they would continue this form of acquaintance. The girl had no temptations, she even thought of denouncing him, but hesitated", pshe concludes.
The State Police tells "Sinjalizo" that online prostitution does not constitute a criminal offense, while for the criminal offense "exploitation of prostitution" 92 perpetrators were arrested last year, of which 79 were men.
Also, using the language of numbers, the State Police informs that last year the arrests for this criminal offense have almost tripled, since in 2021 there were only 37 such, 14 of which were carried out in the capital.
Asked by "Sinjalizo", the Ministry of Justice announced that 22 perpetrators were convicted by the Albanian court for the criminal offense of "prostitution" during the period January 2022-January 2023.
Is Albania ready for the legalization of prostitution?
"Under the effect of many factors of a social, economic and cultural nature, the moment has already come for our country to have access to some other countries and the practice of prostitution can be legal", says lawyer Meminaj, adding that "it can be handled in the register of economic activity or it can be handled under another legal regime, where the purchase of the sexual act is penalized and the sale of the sexual act is decriminalized".
Meanwhile, sociologist Marsida Simo speaks out against the legalization of this activity.
"Usually girls and women involved in prostitution have a male pimp who leads the activity and exploits them". she says, adding that in addition to physical damage, prostitution is associated with the use of narcotics, while "girls, women who come out of the prostitution network can be abused psychologically, sexually and physically, being forced to meet the demands of clients", concludes Simo for "Signal".
