Crime ‘reigning’ in the local media reports

TIRANA, Aug. 15 – A teenager kills her alleged lover, or raper, the vehicle of a businessman is blown with an explosive, a 35-year old under house arrest was shot dead at home and his father later also died from an infarct following his presence in the killing, many other car accidents, these are the main news that Albanians have heard during the last week in all the local media outlets, be they print or electronic.
Not pleasant news, right?
Nazime Visha, 18, shot dead Fiqiri Muca, 45, after allegedly the victim persecuted and treated her as a lover for more than four years. The local media reports statements from Visha at the police that she has had unwanted sexual relations with Muca since she was 14 years old. Visha’s sister was married to Muca’s brother.
Muca was killed at Visha’s uncle’s where she had gone to live after being not accepted by her family since some months ago when she was allegedly kidnapped by Muca and kept for more than a week in a forest.
Muca, married and with five children, was allegedly in love with Visha and had gone to take her again.
Muca’s family did not accept that version.
But it is interesting to see the reaction of the Albanians in the social networks. Many of them praised Visha for her last desperate act of killing Muca. But many also criticized her family for being that calm in the last four years and blaming her for that relation. Others also criticized police for staying that indifferent even when Visha was allegedly kidnapped. The local media also hinted that Muca had possibly paid any policeman to close the issue.
The local media also reported SMS that Visha and Muca had exchanged in a clear show they were lovers.
The explosion and damage of the car of the businessman in southernmost town of Saranda was naturally not good news for tourists. Saranda and its surroundings are a main attraction for tourists, especially foreign ones who aim at looking also at Butrinti ancient site which is nearby.
And to close that issue with the killing of a person under house arrest, right in his flat in central Elbasan city. He was guarded by two policemen who were not found there when he was shot dead. He was under house arrest for an alleged murder charge. His father who happened to be home had a heart attack and later died at the hospital.
On the other side it is politics playing in this roulette of crimes.
On one side police, that is the government, is trying to show they have everything under control. That is seen in the daily police reports mentioning the arrests of scores of persons for minor thefts or weapon possession, drug traffic or other petty crimes. Police also arrested a suspect for the death of a woman last week, an Albanian immigrant who had come home and suffered a robbery attack and when resisted to robbers was kicked with a knife many times to die immediately.
Albania was shocked last week after the stabbing two death of a woman in Tirana in front of her children during a robbery attempt by two youngsters. Fatbardha Tafa was stabbed to death in Tirana suburbs while she resisted two robbers that tried to steal her necklace. Her sister was also seriously wounded during the attack. Police launched an investigation following the attack and arrested a 20-year old suspected of being one of the two thieves that attacked the woman. The suspect does not accept the crime and it is now in the hands of the police officers and prosecutors to prove the crime.
On the other side, the increase of the crimes has been good ‘food’ for the opposition politics. They have immediately started to criticize the government for a lack of security during tourist season. They say that the country is under the terror of criminals and street gangs because Prime Minister Sali Berisha has nominated party militants as head of security institutions.
Police also call on the people to report any suspected crime or attempt, something that seems to have been forgotten by common Albanians, considering that something that resembles the former communist regime type and should not be used.
But it is very clear that despite all police efforts fighting crime needs a total commitment and readiness, participation and cooperation of all the population and the social strata.