General audience Vlora Mehmeti Spanca has reacted after the assassination of Arlinda Zekiaj in Pec, seeking institutional reflection and accountability for handling domestic violence cases.

Through a Facebook post, Spain has described this as a serious human loss, which brings back to the attention the shortcomings recorded in the National Audition Office ( ZKA, entitled The Efficiency of Institutes in Treating Family Violence Cases, for 20202022.

According to her, the report had calculated shortcomings in inter-institutional co-ordination, investigation and monitoring of defence orders, involvement of victims’ defenders, records of cases, and providing social and economic support.

Also, delays in court treatment of cases and lack of programmes for dealing with perpetrators of violence were identified.

Spanca has stressed that audit recommendations should not be addressed only as procedural shortcomings, as they are directly linked to the ability of institutions to identify risks, react in time and protect those seeking assistance.

It has called for recommendations to be implemented with urgency, responsibility and transparency, isolating some measures that must be taken by responsible institutions.

These include systematic and professional risk assessments on every reported case, effective co-ordination between police, prosecution, courts, Protection and Protection Offices and Social Work Centers, as well as continuous monitoring of protective orders.

It has also called for cases of violence to be handled with priority, to avoid delays that could endanger the safety of victims, and to ensure continued support through housing, social and economic support, and specialised services.

In the end, the General Auditor has stressed the importance of taking any reports of violence and the assessment of any warning for danger seriously.

Any reports of violence must be taken seriously, any danger warning should be assessed, and any safeguard clause should be applied and monitored, Spanca wrote. /Telegraphy/