UN Georgia calls for thorough investigation into suicide of 14-year-old girl

The 14-year-old girl from the Kobuleti municipality committed suicide on February 9, 2021. Media  reported on February 11 that the girl had been the victim of statutory rape. Photo: Eka Lortkipanidze/RL/RFE.

Agenda.ge, 16 Feb 2021 - 16:42, Tbilisi,Georgia

The United Nations family in Georgia (UN Georgia) extends condolences to the family of a 14-year-old girl who recently committed suicide and calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to her death.

This tragedy points to persistent stigma around rape, sexual violence, exploitation,and gender inequality in Georgia, shortcomings on the part of the child protection system, along with gaps in psycho-social assessment, provision of support services and child-friendly justice for children in contact with the law”, reads the official statement of the UN in Georgia.

UN Georgia calls for a dedicated effort at improvement, ‘whether in legislation on sexual violence, law enforcement practices, social welfare protection, child protection referral procedures or child-friendly judicial processes’.

The organisational recommends the creation of an integrated service for child victims of sexual violence that provides a child-friendly justice process and psychological and social rehabilitation in one space.

Immediate measures are necessary to avoid a repetition of this tragedy and to ensure that the fundamental human rights of women and girls are fully respected at all times an in all situations, and that women and girls are equipped with the right knowledge and skills and they are empowered to make decisions about their present and future”, reads the statement.

It is also mentioned in the statement that in the justice system, specialized professionals should be assigned to work on child and sexual violence cases.

The 14-year-old girl from the Kobuleti municipality committed suicide on February 9, 2021.

The Interior Ministry reported on February 11 that the girl had been the victim of statutory rape.

Although the family of the minor said they had reported the crime a couple of months ago, the perpetrator, identified as N.T. and born in 1997, was detained only after the girl’s death.

N.T., who knew the girl’s age, had sexual relations with her in June and December 2020, promising to marry her.

On February 15 police detained the grandfather of the late teenager for domestic violence against her.

Police found that the grandfather threatened the girl and inflicted violence upon her earlier before the girl committed suicide.