The Ritualistic Crimes and Criminal Code of Albania
Authors: Karamuço Ervin 
Published: June 2023

Albania continues to be a high risk country in ritualistic criminal activities, due to absence of appropriate legislation to fully and institutionally react with proper measures to condemn the perpetrators. Enforcement agencies are facing serious challenges regarding efforts to combat this phenomenon, due to lack of trainings and information. Investigators are having many difficulties to identify and professionally prevent, investigate or reveal the core scopes of these criminal acts. The crimes committed in fulfillment of the rituals of secret cults, abusing vulnerable persons until the loss of their lives, have been unknown until recent years to the Albanian reality. In the US and Europe there is a long history and criminological studies, which have subsequently dictated the legal and institutional reforms of the respective states. Regarding cruelty and danger in public security elements, this kind of activities has been reported continuously with high level of concern by media outlet and civil society, which repeatedly emphasize the risks of deterioration of this illegal activity. In 2020-2021, according to media reports and official statements of the State Police, 4 people lost their lives in mysterious circumstances, where the collected evidence raised strong doubts about the application of rituals by secret sects. All four victims were attached to alternative rituals and beliefs, and esoteric items and signs were found, proving their participation in certain circumstances. By the end of this year, Albania is planning to adopt new criminal code with new relevant articles in order to improve national anti-crime strategies. In the above context, the new legislation and the amendments on this regards, are very important to track, denounce and punishes such ritualistic activities toward human beings and animal as well. This paper aims to analyze the current situation and to point out the challenges that Albania is facing to combat the ritualistic organized criminal activity, focusing mainly on legislation amendments and other institutional or education reforms. During these analyses, will be given other European and western in comparative way, in order to explore the best system adaptable to our national security necessities. This paper will analyze also the notion of occult criminology, including their reasoning and definition, raising some questions as follows: What is the cause of these crimes in Albania? What are the categories of victims who lose their lives from these rituals and what is their victimlogy profiling? What is the profile of the perpetrators and the ideology they follow for committing these crimes? At the end of this paper, in addition to the general conclusions that have been presented, a special part is preserved to figure out some recommendations, which should be taken into account by law enforcement agencies in order to intensify the activity and improve legislation to prevent this kind of criminal activity in Albania. This paper aims also to realize and identify the damage caused by occult crimes, their main causes in the Albanian reality and the measures that must be taken to prevent them in the future. The subjects of these crimes are different and their division and identification enables the development of an appropriate strategy for their prevention. The typology of crimes will be analyzed through legal proposals and statistics of recent years related to this typology of crime. The dynamics of these crimes will also be taken into account in the analysis. Another importance is the increase of awareness for occult crimes, which is another goal of this paper.

Received: 10 September 2022 / Accepted: 21 October 2022 / Published: 30 November 2022