Author: Dallandyshe Xhaferri
"This country is a real gift for sex tourists, who are looking for the best escorts," - this is how the website 'Escort Guide' describes Albania. Meanwhile, on the platform "Sinjalizo", complaints have been received 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 about the 'characteristics' of girls in Tirana, Elbasan, Durrës, Vlorë and Shkodër 'helping' them in their choice. According to the description published on the website 'clients in Tirana can find students who want to have adventures and attractive, mature young girls ready to fulfill any 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 is presented as a girl of Albanian nationality, who offers sexual Services in Tirana on behalf of 'Euro Girls Escorts.com' . The price that clients have to pay ranges from 300 euros for 1 hour to 3000 euros for 24 hours. Clients have 'rated' the 21-year-old with '5 stars', while her catalog also includes a video posted on her 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 damaging activity in the psychosocial aspect, mainly for the service provider, has recently taken on new forms, also aided by technology," sociologist Marsida Simo tells "Sinjalizo", emphasizing that "the overall way prostitution is organized is harmful with or without physical contact."
"I'm not talking about tax evasion, I'm less concerned about that. I'm talking about illegality in the way intimacy is sold and bought, which starts virtually, but can also result in physical contact, in exchange for payment," she continues, claiming that "the data shows that it is girls who are most involved in these activities, where their age is often under 18 years old."
Lawyer Bledar Meminaj tells "Sinjalizo" that "Our jurisprudence so far has been before cases of the criminal offense of prostitution that 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, whether in money or other valuable items", - concludes Meminaj.
"We need an update of the Criminal Code ," says lawyer Stefan Tollapi, who claims that Albanian justice has previously dealt with online prostitution, but the lack of physical contact has caused the charge of "engaging in prostitution" to be dropped.
" In the case I defended, the client had employed girls in their 20s who gave online performances. The cases filed by the police were exaggerated, since legally there was no 'Exploitation of prostitution' and 'Prostitution' ," he says, adding that " it could be included in pornography, but this is also a matter of debate ."
'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, reciprocal actions, payments are made in a value determined on a case-by-case basis, of which ½ is withheld by the company jasemin.com, the rest goes through banking transactions, with each of the girls receiving their respective share of the value per unit of time consumed online", says lawyer Meminaj, who adds that " these citizens were informed at the Central Bank that this activity was not prohibited by law in the country".
The reason why online prostitution is spreading in the country, sociologist Simo links to the fact that this type of prostitution " is seen as less harmful due to the fact that there is no physical contact, the provider is more protected, and can be masked or cover part of the face to maintain privacy ," Simo says for "Sinjalizo", while adding that there are also cases where young people find themselves unprepared when faced with 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, about 10 years older than the student, first asked for her help to teach him the subjects she was studying, which coincided with the latter's interest," says Simo, adding that- " While she was explaining, the boy masturbated. Then, he told her the true purpose of online meetings and offered her a considerable amount of money if they would continue this form of acquaintance. The girl was not tempted, and even thought about reporting him, but hesitated," she 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 now come for our country to have the access of some other countries and the practice of prostitution can be legal ," says lawyer Meminaj, adding that "it can be treated in the register of economic activity or it can be treated under another legal regime, where the purchase of a sexual act is penalized and the sale of a sexual act is decriminalized."
Meanwhile, sociologist Marsida Simo speaks out against the legalization of this activity.
"Usually, girls and women who engage in prostitution have a male tutor who runs the activity and exploits them," she says, adding that in addition to physical harm, prostitution is associated with the use of narcotics, while "girls and women who leave the prostitution network can be psychologically, sexually and physically abused, being forced to meet the demands of clients," Simo concludes for "Sinjalizo."
