PM vows tough punishment for those involved in minor’s death

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has promised “very tough punishment” for those, ‘no matter their status or rank’, whose guilt will be revealed by the State Inspector’s Office in pushing 15-year-old Luka Siradze to suicide on December 11. 

Gakharia has expressed his “deep sorrow” over the death of Siradze, who died in Iashvili Hospital in Tbilisi early yesterday due to severe injuries he received after jumping from the ninth floor of a building. 

 There must be no question marks around the issue or the transparency of the investigation,” Gakharia said. 

Gakharia stated  that the government has taken “important steps” in terms of juvenile justice, for major improvements in education and healthcare fields over the past few years.  

• Investigator detained for allegedly putting pressure on minor leading to suicide

Civic movement Shame writing the words on walls in Tbilisi which were written on the wall in one of the private schools, for which the minor was summoned for interrogation: 'F**k the life." 

However, we still face accumulated problems and challenges. We all, the whole public, are responsible before Luka and his family to reduce the systemic problems accumulated for years to minimum,” Gakharia said. 

• Police dismiss allegations of alleged pressure on minor leading to suicide attempt

To address the issue the PM has instructed the: 

• Interior Ministry to take all measures to ensure the investigative environment fitted to minors. To ensure the presence of investigators and managers who are qualified to work with minors. To provide the criteria for selection the personnel and carry out their continued retraining and monitoring. 
•  Health and Education ministries to present a plan on eradication of systemic problems regarding minors in a one week time. 
• Justice Ministry to present a bill on additional guarantees for minors who will have to maintain contact with state institutions. 

Gakharia stated that the Georgian government will take full responsibility to carry out the reform in a timely manner, transparently and with the support of international partners. 

He stated that using the tragedy for political interests is “absolutely unacceptable.”