1D54D74C4B788B01A39CE8E6899019C7 Macedonian court sentences ringleaders of a sexual predatorsโ€™ Telegram group to four years in prison -->
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Macedonian court sentences ringleaders of a sexual predatorsโ€™ Telegram group to four years in prison

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The group shared child pornography and revenge porn

Originally published on Global Voices

โ€œPublic Room is a Crimeโ€ banner on the February 3, 2021 protest against impunity for sexual predators in Skopje, North Macedonia. Photo by Vanฤo Dลพambaski, CC BY-NC-SA.

This story is based on original coverage by Meta.mk. An edited version is republished here under a content-sharing agreement between Global Voices and the Metamorphosis Foundation. 

The Basic Criminal Court Skopje passed sentences convicting two men in the โ€œJavna Sobaโ€ trial to 4-years prison sentences on March 11, 2022.

โ€œJavna Soba,โ€ meaning โ€œPublic Roomโ€ (an allusion to the term โ€œpublic house,โ€ a synonym for a brothel), was a sexual predator group on Telegram with over 7,000 members, used for sharing private nude photos or videos of girls and women from North Macedonia and abroad, including child pornography.

The groupโ€™s founder, Darko Kostovski and the groupโ€™s moderator Mihail Panevski were found guilty of misusing nude photographs of women and girls and sharing personal data (first and last names, telephone numbers, and personal addresses) in the โ€œPublic Roomโ€ group on Telegram. As a result, apart from their previous 13 months of house arrest, the court sentenced them to four years in prison.

The court found both men found guilty of distributing illicit text and audiovisual content between December 19, 2019, and January 28,  2020. They were also charged with allowing group members to share videos containing child pornography, including sexual abuse involving a four-year-old child.

The court considered both men flight risks and ruled sentenced them to house arrest until they are sent to prison.

The incident came to light about two years ago after women and various NGOs came forward to complain about the groupโ€™s activities.

Protestors holding banners reading โ€œStop victim blamingโ€ and โ€œJust because I move through public space doesn't mean that my body is a public space!!!โ€ in front of Public Prosecution Office in during February 3, 2021 protest against impunity for sexual predators in Skopje, North Macedonia. Photo by Vanฤo Dลพambaski, CC BY-NC-SA.

Public dissatisfaction exploded with a massive protest against impunity for sexual predators in January 2021. The group continued to operate freely a whole year after their existence became widely known, sparking the protest on the one-year anniversary of the scandal. Sixteen women's rights organizations, human rights groups, and numerous activists organized the protest that demanded accountability from the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecutor Office.

A screenshot of messages announcing the opening of the new group after the original โ€œPublic Roomโ€ was busted. The message says โ€œ!! A new group has been created. DM me to send you an invite!โ€

The Public Room Telegram group is currently closed. Toward the end of 2021, there were efforts to reactivate it at least three times. During that time, more than 200 people joined in a single day and 61 photographs and 14 videos were shared without the subjectsโ€™ consent. The police reacted quickly and as a result, the group and its content were blocked for the members.

At that time, the authorities announced they were investigating the โ€œPublic Room 2โ€  case which is currently, itโ€™s in a preliminary criminal investigation phase.

Journalist Katerina Dodevska expressed concern that thousands of sexual predators in these groups will suffer no consequences at all.

ะกะฐะผะพ ะทะฐ ะดะฒะฐั˜ั†ะฐ ัˆั‚ะพ ะฑะตะฐ ะดะตะป ะพะด โ€žะˆะฐะฒะฝะฐ ัะพะฑะฐโ€ ะดะพัะตะณะฐ ัะต ะดะพะฝะตัะตะฝะธ ะฟั€ะตััƒะดะธโ€ฆ ะะพ ะพะฒะธะต ะพะดะปัƒะบะธ ะฝะฐ ะกัƒะดะพั‚ ัะต ั‡ะธะฝะธ ะดะตะบะฐ ะฝะต ะฝะพัะฐั‚ ะผะฝะพะณัƒ ะฝะฐะดะตะถ ะฑะธะดะตั˜ัœะธ ัะต ัะฐะผะพ ะดะฒะต, ะฐ ะฒะพ ะณั€ัƒะฟะธั‚ะต โ€žะˆะฐะฒะฝะฐ ัะพะฑะฐ 1โ€ณ ะธ โ€žะˆะฐะฒะฝะฐ ัะพะฑะฐ 2โ€ณ, ะบะพะธ ัะต ะฟะพั˜ะฐะฒะธั˜ะฐ ะฒะพ ั˜ะฐะฒะฝะพัั‚ะฐ ะฟั€ะตะด ะดะฒะต ะณะพะดะธะฝะธ, ะธะผะฐ ะพะบะพะปัƒ 12.100 ั‡ะปะตะฝะฐ. ะขะตะปะตะณั€ะฐะผ ะฝะต ะผัƒ ะณะธ ะดะฐะฒะฐ ะฝะฐ ะžะฑะฒะธะฝะธั‚ะตะปัั‚ะฒะพั‚ะพ ะฟะพะดะฐั‚ะพั†ะธั‚ะต ะทะฐ ั‡ะปะตะฝะพะฒะธั‚ะต, ะฐ ั‚ะพะฐ ะฟั€ะฐะบั‚ะธั‡ะฝะพ ะทะฝะฐั‡ะธ ะดะตะบะฐ ะฝะฐ ะพะฑะฒะธะฝะธั‚ะตะปะธั‚ะต ะธะผ ัะต ะฒั€ะทะฐะฝะธ ั€ะฐั†ะตั‚ะต ะทะฐ ะพั‚ะฒะพั€ะฐัšะต ะฟั€ะตะดะธัั‚ั€ะฐะณะฐ ะธ ะธัั‚ั€ะฐะณะฐ ะทะฐ ะพะฒะธะต ัะปัƒั‡ะฐะธ.

Only two men who were part of โ€œPublic Roomโ€ [groups] have been convictedโ€ฆ However these  verdicts don't bring much hope to the victims because  they are only two, while the public is aware that the Telegram groups โ€œPublic Room 1โ€ณ and โ€œPublic Room 2โ€ณ combined  had around 12.100 members. Telegram refuses to provide the members data to the Public Prosecution Office, which means that the prosecutors have their hands tied in regard to conducting investigations about these cases.

Protestor holding a sign reading โ€œPlacing blame on the victim is the dirty secret of our societyโ€ during February 3, 2021 protest against impunity for sexual predators in Skopje, North Macedonia. Photo by Vanฤo Dลพambaski, CC BY-NC-SA.

Gender Equality Platform, an informal network of civil society organizations and individuals that organized participated in the 2021 protest and continued to demand accountability and protection for the victims of gender-based violence, issued a joint statement after the verdict for the two sexual predators was announced on March 11. One point of concern addressed involves the fact that the verdict of four years in  prison is bellow the legal minimum of five years for such  crimes, and twice as short as the legal maximum, which in their view promotes imputnity.

ะ“ั€ะฐั“ะฐะฝัะบะธั‚ะต ะพั€ะณะฐะฝะธะทะฐั†ะธะธ ะณะพ ะธัะบะฐะถัƒะฒะฐะฐั‚ ัะฒะพะตั‚ะพ ะดะปะฐะฑะพะบะพ ะฝะตะทะฐะดะพะฒะพะปัั‚ะฒะพ ะพะด ั€ะฐะทั€ะตัˆะฝะธั†ะฐั‚ะฐ ะฝะฐ ัะปัƒั‡ะฐั˜ะพั‚ โ€žะˆะฐะฒะฝะฐ ัะพะฑะฐโ€œ ะฒะพ ะฟั€ะฒะพัั‚ะตะฟะตะฝะฐั‚ะฐ ะฟะพัั‚ะฐะฟะบะฐ. ะกะพ ะฒะฐะบะฒะฐั‚ะฐ ะพะดะปัƒะบะฐ, ััƒะดะพั‚ ะฟั€ะฐัœะฐ ะฟะพั€ะฐะบะฐ ะดะตะบะฐ ะบะฐะทะฝะตะฝะฐั‚ะฐ ะฟะพะปะธั‚ะธะบะฐ ะฒะพ ะดั€ะถะฐะฒะฐั‚ะฐ ะต ะฝะตะดะพะฒะพะปะฝะฐ, ะฝะตัะพะพะดะฒะตั‚ะฝะฐ ะธ ะฝะตั†ะตะปะพัะฝะฐ ะฒะพ ะพะดะฝะพั ะฝะฐ ะฒะฐะบะฒะธั‚ะต ะดะตะปะฐ ะฒะพ ะบะพะตัˆั‚ะพ ะฒะปะตะณัƒะฒะฐ ะดะตะปะพั‚ะพ ะพะด ั‡ะปะตะฝ 193-ะฐ ะพะด ะšั€ะธะฒะธั‡ะฝะธะพั‚ ะทะฐะบะพะฝ. ะ˜ะผะตะฝะพ, ะทะฐะบะพะฝะพะดะฐะฒะตั†ะพั‚ ะฟั€ะพะฟะธัˆะฐะป ะผะธะฝะธะผัƒะผ ะบะฐะทะฝะฐ ะพะด 5, ะพะดะฝะพัะฝะพ ะพะด 8 ะณะพะดะธะฝะธ, ะฐ ะกัƒะดะพั‚ ะพะดั€ะตะดัƒะฒะฐ ะบะฐะทะฝะฐ ะดะฒะพั˜ะฝะพ ะฟะพะฝะธัะบะฐ ะพะด ัƒั‚ะฒั€ะดะตะฝะธะพั‚ ะทะฐะบะพะฝัะบะธ ะผะธะฝะธะผัƒะผ. ะฃัˆั‚ะต ะฟะพะฒะตัœะต, ัˆั‚ะพ ะฒะฐะบะฒะฐั‚ะฐ ะบะฐะทะฝะฐ ะต ะฟั€ะธะผะตะฝะตั‚ะฐ ะฝะฐ ะพั€ะณะฐะฝะธะทะฐั‚ะพั€ะธ ะธ ะบั€ะตะฐั‚ะพั€ะธ ะพะด ั‡ะธะธัˆั‚ะพ ะดะตั˜ัั‚ะฒะธั˜ะฐ ะฟะพะฝะฐั‚ะฐะผัƒ ะธะปั˜ะฐะดะฝะธั†ะธ ัั‚ะพั€ะธั‚ะตะปะธ ัƒั‡ะตัั‚ะฒัƒะฒะฐะปะต ะฒะพ ะพั€ะณะฐะฝะธะทะธั€ะฐะฝะพ ัะตะบััƒะฐะปะฝะพ ะฝะฐัะธะปัั‚ะฒะพ ะฒะพ ะฝะฐั˜ั€ะฐะทะปะธั‡ะฝะธ ั„ะพั€ะผะธ, ะฐ ะฝะธะฒะฝะธ ะถั€ั‚ะฒะธ ัะต ะพะณั€ะพะผะตะฝ ะฑั€ะพั˜ ะฝะฐ ะถะตะฝะธ ะธ ะดะตะฒะพั˜ั‡ะธัšะฐ ะบะพะธ ัรจ ัƒัˆั‚ะต ั‚ั€ะฟะฐั‚ ะฟะพัะปะตะดะธั†ะธ ะพะด ั‚ะธะต ะดะตั˜ัั‚ะฒะธั˜ะฐ.

ะ—ะฝะฐะตะผะต ะดะตะบะฐ ะกัƒะดะพั‚ ะต ะฝะตะทะฐะฒะธัะตะฝ ะธ ะดะตะบะฐ ะผะพะถะตะฑะธ ะฒะฐะบะฒะฐั‚ะฐ ั€ะตะฐะบั†ะธั˜ะฐ ัœะต ัะต ะฟั€ะพั‚ะพะปะบัƒะฒะฐ ะบะฐะบะพ ะฒะปะธั˜ะฐะฝะธะต ะธะปะธ ะฟั€ะธั‚ะธัะพะบ ะฒั€ะท ะกัƒะดัะบะฐั‚ะฐ ะฒะปะฐัั‚, ะผะตั“ัƒั‚ะพะฐ ะพะฝะฐ ัˆั‚ะพ ัะฐะบะฐะผะต ะดะฐ ะณะพ ะฟั€ะฐั‚ะธะผะต ะบะฐะบะพ ะฟะพั€ะฐะบะฐ ะต ะดะตะบะฐ ะกัƒะดะพั‚ ะฟะพ ัะปัƒะถะฑะตะฝะฐ ะดะพะปะถะฝะพัั‚ ะผะพั€ะฐ ะดะฐ ะฒะพะดะธ ัะผะตั‚ะบะฐ ะธ ะทะฐ ัะฟะตั†ะธั˜ะฐะปะฝะฐั‚ะฐ ะธ ะทะฐ ะณะตะฝะตั€ะฐะปะฝะฐั‚ะฐ ะฟั€ะตะฒะตะฝั†ะธั˜ะฐ; ะพะดะฝะพัะฝะพ ,ะพะด ะตะดะฝะฐ ัั‚ั€ะฐะฝะฐ ะดะฐ ัะต ัะฟั€ะตั‡ะธ ัะธั‚ะต ะพัั‚ะฐะฝะฐั‚ะธ ะดะฐ ะฒั€ัˆะฐั‚ ะฒะฐะบะฒะธ ะดะตะปะฐ, ะฐ ะพะด ะดั€ัƒะณะฐ ัั‚ั€ะฐะฝะฐ, ั‚ะพั˜ ัˆั‚ะพ ัั‚ะพั€ะธะป, ะดะฐ ัั„ะฐั‚ะธ ะดะตะบะฐ ัั‚ะพั€ะธะป ัะตั€ะธะพะทะฝะพ ะดะตะปะพ ะธ ะธัั‚ะพั‚ะพ ะดะฐ ะฝะต ัะต ะฟะพะฒั‚ะพั€ะธ. ะžั‚ั‚ัƒะบะฐ, ัะผะตั‚ะฐะผะต ะดะตะบะฐ ะฟั€ะตััƒะดะฐั‚ะฐ ะต ะฝะตะดะพะฒะพะปะฝะฐ, ะฝะตัะพะพะดะฒะตั‚ะฝะฐ ะธ ะฝะตั†ะตะปะพัะฝะฐ.

Civic organizations express deep dissatisfaction with the resolution of the โ€œPublic Roomโ€ court case in the first degree.  With this verdict, the court sends a message that the punitive policies in the country are insufficient, inappropriate and incomplete regarding crimes which include those covered by Article 193-a of the Criminal Code. Namely the law proscribes a prison sentence of minimum 5 and maximum 8 years, while the court ruled a sentence which is half of the minimum proscribed by the law. Moreover, this sentence applies to organizers and creators who enabled thousands of other perpetrators to engage in organized sexual violence in different forms, while their victims include enormous number of women and girls who still suffer the consequences of those actions.

We know that the court is independent institution and that some might consider this reaction as an attempt to influence the judiciary, but  what we are trying to do is send a message that the court must take care of both special and general prevention. On one hand it must stop all other perpetrators from committing such acts, and on the other hand to make those who had already perpetrated such acts to  realize the seriousness of the crimes and not to repeat them. Therefore we consider the verdict to be insufficient, inappropriate and incomplete.

In December 2021, the Ministry of Justice of Republic of North Macedonia began a process to amend the Criminal Code by adding sexual harassment and stalking as separate criminal offenses, as recently noted by the Gender Equality Platform.

In this context, the Platform demanded urgent upgrade of the Criminal Code and the Law on Criminal Procedure in order to adhere to the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women.

The Platform also demanded urgent investigation of a Facebook group used for sexual harassment of Roma women, as well as a thorough, complete, and unbiased implementation of all necessary procedures that would ensure protection of victims of sexual harassment and related crimes. They also demanded that judges, lawyers, and public prosecutors receive proper education around gender consciousness and cases of sexual violence.



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