On 17.04.2025, citizens O.Z. and E.G., inhabitants in Tirana, parents of 14-year-old minor J.G. notified the Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC) that on 12.04.2025, at the area near the Tirana Lake Hill, their son J.G. had been accompanied by officers of Police Commissariat no. 1, Tirana, because he had been caught throwing firecrackers. In their complaint, they complained that police officers had exercised physical and psychological violence toward their son.
To verify this complaint, on 22.04.2025, two AHC observers visited Police Commissariat no. 1. During the verification, it resulted that:
- According to examined documentation, the minor J.G., born on 09.11.2010, was accompanied to the Police Commissariat no. 1 on 12.04.2025, at 18:40. The cause for the accompaniment was the suspicion of upsetting public calm and throwing pyrotechnical materials. It was noted in the documentation that after the accompaniment, their parents had been notified.
- In the Accompaniment Report, it was noted that the minor had a hematoma on the side of his right eye. According to the examined documentation, he does not appear to have been visited by the doctor. The above fact was denied by police officers. Although in the report mentioned above, it was noted that there was a hematoma, it did not result that the doctor of the Commissariat had examined him, in contravention with provisions of Chapter IV, of the Standard Procedure “Treatment and security of individuals arrested/detained in the premises of the State Police, highlighting and resolving their request/complaints.”
- Upon request of the parents who went to the Police Commissariat immediately after being notified, the emergency service of the Trauma Hospital was notified. The above fact was noted in the relevant logbook. The minor was accompanied to the Trauma Hospital on 12.04.2025, at 20:00.
According to the accompanying medical epicrisis that was sent to AHC by the parents of the minor, the diagnosis reads: Contuzion capitis, fist punches. Should be followed by family doctor for rest and re-examination according to reference system.
- During examinations of the logbook of data for accompanied minor individuals in the Commissariat, AHC found corrections on the noted times, the name of the psychologist, and the judicial police officer. In fact, psychologist M.T. had not had any meeting with the minor J.G. in the Police Commissariat, but only in the premises of the Trauma Hospital. This shows that the name of the psychologist was noted later in the logbook of the Police Commissariat.
Taking into consideration the above facts, we reach the conclusion that minor J.G. had been violated, which was evident not only by looking at him, but also as noted in the medical epicrisis of the Trauma Hospital. Besides, although they made notes in the logbook about the hematoma, the police officers, after denying the exercise of violence on the minor, did not send him to be examined by a doctor. The minor was sent to hospital only after the parents insisted for this.
In the case mentioned above, in Police Commissariat no. 1, minor J.G. was not provided necessary medical and psychological assistance, thus acting in contravention of article 34, paragraph 1, letter ç, and paragraph 1, article 35, of the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as articles 10, 14, 18 of the Criminal Justice Code for Minors, which talks about the principle of the highest interest of the child, assistance by the psychologist, and the use of alternative measures of avoidance.
While the parents of the minor citizen, on 13.04.2025 filed a criminal referral with the Police Oversight Agency and the Prosecution Office at the First Instance Court of General Jurisdiction, Tirana, AHC calls on responsible institutions to investigate this case with priority and seriousness, for the purpose of fully resolving the case and the prevention of similar situations in the future.
