TIRANA, June 29 – The justice ministry has initiated disciplinary proceedings against a judge in the district of Berat, southern Albania, following a sexual harassment complaint by a woman. Judge Shyqyri à‡obo has been accused of seeking sexual favors from a woman who had filed for divorce from her husband.
Judge à‡obo was appointed to the civil case and he offered to find the woman a lawyer. The judge got the woman’s phone number and then sent her over 200 text messages for at least three months indirectly demanding sexual relations.
The woman told prosecutors that she felt scared to refuse the judge since he might not have ruled in her favor. Prosecutors questioned judge à‡obo about the case, but he denied all claims that he was seeking sexual favors from the 32-year-old woman.
Prosecutors collected phone records from the plaintiff and accused judge à‡obo of abuse of office by asking sexual favors. He has been suspended for his misdemeanor and violation of ethical conduct while prosecutors continue a detailed inquiry into his case trials as a result of additional claims made by other women who had gone through divorce and had their case trialed by the same judge.
