The parents of 14-year-old Martin Cani, who was stabbed to death after a fight with a peer, have reacted through a public statement to the closure of TikTok.
In a statement, the two parents, Engjell and Florina Cani, say that the tragedy of their son's murder is being used for political purposes to justify the government's decision to shut down TikTok.
Full statement
The Cani family condemns the use of Martin Cani's murder for political purposes!
We, the family of Martin Can, have followed with deep pain and indignation the way our tragedy is being used for political purposes and to justify the government's decision to close the social network TikTok.
We want to say it clearly and publicly: Martini did not have a TikTok account and Martini was not killed by TikTok! Martini was killed by a knife wielded by a peer.
Martin was killed by an education system that lacks school safety measures, where educational and law enforcement institutions fail to take measures to prevent violence. He was killed because his parents were not notified by the school about Friday's incident, leaving them with no way to prevent the tragedy.
Martini was killed by a health system where the emergency room sends him to the most distant hospital, due to an absurd protocol, even though the QSUT was only 3 minutes away. Martini was killed because the Trauma Hospital lacks a cardiac surgeon and the specialized Extracorporeal Circulation Machine for heart repair.
Meanwhile, what is killing Martin for the second time is the lack of justice and the irresponsibility of institutions! Justice for Martin has not yet been served, and our family will not stop demanding that this murder not be passed over in silence.
We do not accept that Martin's name is used to justify political decisions that have nothing to do with his murder. Instead of taking measures to increase security in schools, to strengthen education and awareness among young people, to prevent other tragic cases, the government is seeking to shift attention and avoid its real responsibility.
We demand JUSTICE FOR MARTIN!
We demand that institutions stop using Martin's murder as a justification for decisions that do not address the true causes of this tragedy!
Martini was a good boy, a footballer with dreams, a child who deserved to live. Let's not kill him a second time with hypocrisy and political manipulation.