Three people sent to trial in Berat after live-in partner was pushed into prostitution with the help of others

The Berat Prosecutor’s Office has concluded its investigation and sent three people to trial after uncovering a suspected case of prostitution exploitation.

According to the official announcement, citizens identified by the initials R.L. and E.V. are accused of the criminal offense of “Exploitation of prostitution,” committed in cooperation and on more than one occasion, while K.D. has been referred for trial for the criminal offense of “Failure to report a crime.”

The investigation found that R.L. and E.V. organized and facilitated the exploitation for prostitution of the citizen identified by the initials Y.Sh.

According to her testimony, she engaged in prostitution, while her live-in partner, R.L., was fully aware of this activity, took the income earned from it and in some cases also found clients for her. R.L. himself stated during the investigation that he had pushed his live-in partner to provide sexual services in exchange for payment because of economic hardship.

According to the prosecution, the clients were provided by E.V., the owner of the “Star” nightclub, where Y.Sh. was employed as a dancer. The prosecution says this employment was used as a cover for her sexual exploitation with the club’s clients, with the aim of financial gain.

The investigation showed that the main role in this activity belonged to R.L., who determined the clients, the place where the sexual services would be provided and the prices, while also materially benefiting from it. At the same time, E.V. is suspected of having helped carry out the scheme by making the premises available and brokering clients.

Prosecutor’s Office statement:

The Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction in Berat completed the investigation and is sending citizens R.L. and E.V. to trial for the criminal offense of “Exploitation of prostitution,” provided for under Article 114/2 of the Criminal Code, as well as citizen K.D., accused of “Failure to report a crime,” provided for under Article 300 of the Criminal Code.

From the investigation into criminal proceeding no. 256 of 2025, it was proven that the defendants R.L., E.V. and K.D. committed the criminal offenses for which they were charged.

From all the factual circumstances and the evidence collected, it was proven beyond any reasonable doubt that the defendants R.L. and E.V., through concrete actions, made it possible to exploit citizen Y.Sh. for prostitution. From this citizen’s statement, it emerged that she had engaged in prostitution and that her live-in partner, R.L., had knowledge of it because he took the money earned from the criminal activity when she went to the home where they lived together. She explained that the clients were secured for her by citizen E.V., who was the owner of the “Star” nightclub, where she was employed as a dancer.

The defendant R.L. admitted that he had pushed his live-in partner to provide sexual services because of a difficult economic situation. In some cases he helped her find clients to have sexual relations in exchange for payment.

From all the factual circumstances and the evidence collected, analyzed as above, it was proven beyond any reasonable doubt that the defendants R.L. and E.V. committed the criminal offense of exploitation of prostitution. They acted in cooperation in committing the criminal offense of “Exploitation of prostitution” in cooperation and more than once, as provided for under Article 114/2 of the Criminal Code.

The defendant R.L., in the capacity of organizer and executor, undertook all possible actions for the criminal offense to be fully carried out, by securing clients for his live-in partner to commit the criminal offense, by obtaining material benefits from this activity, by determining the place where the victim of the criminal offense would engage in prostitution, and by setting the price that clients would pay for the sexual services they would receive from the victim. Meanwhile, defendant E.V., in the role of assistant, took steps to fully carry out the criminal offense. He hired citizen Y.Sh., after reaching an agreement with her live-in partner, disguising her in the role of a dancer in order to exploit her for the clients who came to his club’s premises, for profit.