Prosecutors in Gostivar have filed charges against a 28-year-old primary school employee for raping a 14-year-old girl and using recorded material to blackmail her. The accused forced the child to produce explicit photos and videos, then used them as leverage, threatening to publish the material if she refused further contact. He took the child to his home where the assault occurred. When she refused another meeting, he posted the recordings online.

Prosecutors are seeking pretrial detention on three grounds: flight risk, risk of influencing the victim, and risk of reoffending. Sentencing ranges: minimum 8 years for sexual assault of a minor, 3 to 10 years for misuse of recorded material.

The case raises a hard question: how safe are children in our educational institutions? A school employee with direct access to students, with authority and opportunity for manipulation - this is not a random attacker but someone in a position of trust. Do systems exist to identify such individuals before assault occurs? Or do we wait until the victim ends up on social media before anyone acts?