MATRA Child Protection Measures for Children Below the Age of Criminal Responsibility who Are in Conflict with the Law in Albania

The focus of this research study is on the child protection measures for children below the age of criminal responsibility who are in conflict with the law in Albania. To conduct the extensive in-depth analysis, a range of quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine the current Albanian protection system for children below the age of criminal responsibility who are in conflict with the law. The study was carried out mainly in six municipalities: Durrës, Elbasan, Korça, Shkodra, Tirana and Vlora. The main finding of this research study is that the Albanian legislation is in line with international standards on the rights of children below MACR in conflict with the law. While the law provides for an effective child protection system, there is lack of cooperation and coordination when it comes to implementation which is hindering the effectiveness of the system. Moreover there is a need to construct the proper infrastructure to facilitate the effectiveness of the system.