North Macedonia is the only country in the region that, as a preventive measure, has provided citizens with online access to the identities of persons convicted of pedophilia-related offenses, including their photographs, aliases, addresses of residence, and the offenses for which they were convicted. Anyone can view this data with just a few clicks.
The names of 353 people, 14 of whom are women, have been published so far in the pedophile registry, which is currently only available in Macedonian www.registarnapedofili.mk. Sources from the Ministry of Social Policy say they are working to make the site accessible in Albanian as well.
The creation of this registry was made possible by the Macedonian Parliament's adoption in 2012 of a special law that clearly defines 11 criminal offenses that lead to inclusion in the registry.
"The register is regularly updated with new data. Convicted persons are included on an ongoing basis, immediately upon receipt of notification from the competent directorate for the implementation of sanctions, in accordance with the law," representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy told DW.
The registry includes persons convicted of sexual offenses against minors, including sexual assault, offenses related to child pornography, child prostitution, child seduction, incest, and trafficking of minors.
Representatives of the non-governmental organization "Megjashi", which deals with the protection of children's rights, say that the pedophile registry is a good step, but not enough. According to them, the protection of children cannot rely only on the registry and requires other concrete measures.
"The pedophile registry has a certain preventive and informative role, but such registries should not be seen as the only solution, but only as part of a broader, serious and institutionally led strategy for preventing, sanctioning and protecting children from sexual abuse. Without a systemic approach, no such tool can fulfill its purpose," say representatives of "Megjash", the first children's embassy in the world.
According to Megjashi, there is a serious increase in cases of sexual assault against children. "The high numbers of these cases are the result of a serious failure of the child protection system. The data clearly shows that the state is still not doing enough, especially in the field of prevention. Systematic and continuous education, early intervention, better coordination and support for victims are needed," said "Megjashi".
"Megjashi" has been keeping the "Alo Bushavko" line open for years, where children and young people can seek help when they feel endangered or their rights have been violated.
In the last five years, nine cases related to child pornography, online violence, profile hacking and sexual exploitation of minors have been registered through this line.
According to experts and statistics, people convicted of child sexual abuse tend to repeat the offense, so prevention is important.
According to Criminal Law Professor Vedije Ratkoceri, these crimes are known as "opportunistic" crimes, as perpetrators exploit favorable circumstances without prior planning. Therefore, according to her, the registry plays a key role in prevention.
"When a parent has doubts or wants to verify whether the person with whom their child is in contact, whether a neighbor, teacher or coach, has previously been convicted of offenses related to sexual abuse or trafficking of minors, they can consult the registry and obtain this information at any time. This would undoubtedly help prevent possible abuse of children," said Ratkoceri.
Law change increases the number of complaints
Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs told DW that in the last five years, namely from 2021 to 2025, a total of 472 cases related to child sexual abuse have been reported.
The data shows an increase in complaints over the years: in 2021, 67 cases were reported, in 2022, 93 cases were reported, while in 2023 their number reached 116 cases. In 2024, 91 cases were registered, while in 2025, 105 cases were registered.
The increase in complaints is also related to legal changes approved in 2023. According to them, the age limit for determining the victim in these criminal offenses was increased from 14 to 15 years old, as the majority of cases are related to sexual assault against children under the age of 15 and cohabitation with minors.
North Macedonian legislation also provides for the possibility of chemical castration for persons convicted of these criminal offenses, a measure that entails hormonal treatment aimed at reducing sexual desire./DW
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