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Human Rights Centre Submitted the Report to UN

October 12, 2007

On October 8, 2007 Georgian NGOs submitted the alternative report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Among them was the joint report of Human Rights Center (HRIDC), Public Health and Development Fund of Georgia (PHMDF) and World Organization Againt Torture (OMCT). The representatives of HRIDC and PHMDF attended the pre-session and made the presentation of the reports as well as they respond to the questions of the committee members. The committee got interest in every item of the convention implemented on national level.

The NGOs first denounce the entire responsibility of the Georgian State for its total disinterest and inaction in cases where children are victims of violence at home or in schools. This is particularly worrisome when one knows that out of hundreds of cases of child abuse counted up each year in Georgia, none of them have led to a court solution. According to Lia Saralidze from PHMDF which receives those children in its Child Support Centre, “the need to develop the child welfare system is becoming urgent”. The system lacks main indispensable mechanisms in order to fully protect children such as the obligation to report, the supervision of case or the assistance to the victims.

Moreover, the shadow report jointly submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child by OMCT, HRIDC and PHMDF clearly shows the worrisome situation of children in conflict with the penal law. This is the consequence of the absence of a genuine juvenile justice system in Georgia. Undoubtedly, this system has lead to abuses and children’s rights violations: as recent figures show, detention is clearly overused and leads to overpopulation in places where minors are detained. As an example, there are currently 126 child detainees in Avchala colony in Tbilisi whereas the facility was built to receive 60 boys. It is now becoming urgent that Georgia build a real juvenile justice system in compliance with relevant international standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to NGOs, this should definitely includes alternative measures to detention and diversion programmes and be aimed at social reinsertion.

Furthermore, in relation to juvenile justice, OMCT, HRIDC and PHMDF call the Georgian Parliament to cancel the recent amendment of the criminal legislation lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 for the most serious crimes. The Georgian authorities will show a good indication to move forward to proper implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in amending this legislation before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child ask them to do so in January 2008 during the examination of the third periodic report.

Facing the worrying picture of violence against children in Georgia, NGOs call the government to be responsible by giving priority to children and to take immediate and adequate action to protect them all. NGOs encourage the Georgian population and the Medias to call the President and the government to account on its action in favour of child protection from violence.

Nino Gvedashvili, Geneva

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