Global Progress Towards Ending the Sexual Exploitation of Children
A global problem requires truly global solutions to address the sexual exploitation of children.
Indicators
Age of Consent
No
The age of sexual consent is 14 years for both girls and boys. The national legislation does not provide for a close-in-age exemption
ECO Albania, 2020
Extraterritoriality & Extradition
No
Active and passive extraterritoriality is provided for SEC-related crimes but those punished with 5 years of imprisonment or less require double criminality.
Extradition is governed by international conventions ratified by Albania and requires double criminality, at the condition that the penalty is of at least one year of imprisonment (which excludes some SEC-related offences).
ECO Albania, 2020
CSAM Definition
No
The national legislation does not provide a definition of CSAM which is in line with international standards.
ECO Albania, 2020
Background Check Required
Not Yet Assessed
National Commitments
Partial
Albania has ratified the CRC, the OPSC, the OPIC, the Trafficking Protocol and the ILO Convention No.182.
Albania has also ratified the Council of Europe's Lanzarote and Budapest Conventions.
Albania has not ratified the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics
ECO Albania, 2020
Child Advocacy Centers
Partial
A Child Advocacy Centre (Barnahus Centre) was established by ECPAT Albania in 2020 as part of the European Barnahus network. However, centre still has to develop the capacity to provide forensic interviewing for child victims in order to become a full network member.
There is a Victims Assistance Office within the General Prosecutors Office meant to provide counselling and support to sexual exploitation victims although status as of June 2020 the office had not yet provided support to child victims of SEC.
ECO Albania, 2020
SEC Police Unit
Not Yet Assessed
Protection Standards Travel and Tourism
Not Yet Assessed
Public SEC Case Data
No
Data on SEC cases is not publicly available. The only relevant national data available is on the number of women married under the age of 18 and it is not clearly disaggregated.
ECO Albania, 2020
Age of Consent Law is Appropriate
The age of sexual consent for both males and females is 18 and a close in age exemption (up to 3 years) is provided for consensual sexual relationships between adolescents.
The age of sexual consent is the legally defined age at which a person is considered mature enough to agree to sexual activity. The age of sexual consent varies across jurisdictions around the world and there is no international legal instrument establishing it, however various forms of advocacy have encouraged States to establish a minimum age under which engaging in sexual contact is considered a criminal offence. This is intended to prevent sexual contact with children and to prevent argument that the child consented as a defence.
Often national provisions related to the age of sexual consent include an exception, known as a close-in-age exemption, making consensual sexual activities between young people lawful if the partners are of similar ages and the age difference is not higher than a certain number of years.
To ensure that cases of child sexual exploitation do not go unpunished, ECPAT advocates for the age of sexual consent to be set at 18 for both males and females with a close-in-age exemption of 2-3 years provided in order to ensure young people are not penalised for consensual sexual acts with peers. The age from which the exemption applies should be established by States but may begin for young people somewhere between 12 and 16 years of age.
Yes The national legislation explicitly indicates that the age of sexual consent unequivocally is 18 for both males and females, with a close-in-age exemption for sexual acts between peers (of up to 3 years) is provided by law.