Georgia participates in European Day against Sexual Abuse of Children
Georgian Public Defender's office notes that it is ‘essential’ to raise public awareness on sexual abuse of children. Photo: CoE Children
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Today is European Day of the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. Georgia has been a signatory country of the Council of Europe’s Convention for the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse since 2015.
Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric has addressed the countries to ensure that children’s ‘circle of trust’ is made as safe as possible.
States must spare no effort to ensure that the places where children spend their lives – whether at home, school, sports and leisure facilities or care settings – are made safer for children, she said.
18 November is the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.
— CoE Children (@CoE_children) November 12, 2021
Take a moment to think about what you can do to help protect children against sexual violence.
➡️https://t.co/Fla1lJlKDB#EndChildSexAbuseDay#CoE4Children pic.twitter.com/dsamfm68q0
The Georgian Public Defender’s 2021 report on the administration of justice on crimes of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children says that in the years 2014-2020, investigations were made into 1,743 cases of sexual abuse of children. However, the number of convictions was ‘almost twice less than the rate of criminal prosecution in cases of sexual abuse of children’.
The ombudsman’s office notes that it is ‘essential’ to raise public awareness on sexual abuse of children, especially among minors.
On the occasion of the 6th European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, the Council of Europe has raised the topic of preventing risky behaviour by children related to self-generating sexual images and/or videos especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Child abuse cases have decreased in Georgia by almost 30 per cent, with 1,146 cases reported in January and August 2020.The figure stood at 1,624 in the same period of last year, IPN writes, citing the Agency for State Care and Assistance for the Victims of Human Trafficking. The majority of the cases of child abuse included psycholgical viollence, neglect and coercion.
In her public statement, Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria writes that the risks of child poverty, abuse and neglect have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, and that access to education for some children is a problematic issue due to the lack of access to the internet and computer in the regions and highland villages of Georgia.
The Georgian parliament has adopted the Code on the Rights of the Child which UNICEF has called a ‘groundbreaking achievement’ and an important landmark for every child in Georgia.UNICEF says that the code which was developed by the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the Georgian parliament with their technical support will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of children in Georgia.
The first centre offering psychological and social services to child victims of violence has been launched in Georgia, with professionals working on investigation of cases and rehabilitation of minors, the Georgian Health Ministry announced on Tuesday.