First psycho-social service centre for child violence victims opens in Georgia
The state body also noted the frequency of interviews with the victims in the facility would be “minimised”, with Minister Zurab Azarashvili saying the main goal of the initiative was to protect children who were victims of sexual violence from re-traumatisation and to bring investigative activities and rehabilitation programmes into a single space. Photo: Georgian Health Ministry
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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.
Established with the help of the United Nations Children's Fund and the Estonian Government in close partnership with the Ministry, the new centre has been based on the Scandinavian model of the services, and aims to avoid “repeated interviews” at various agencies for children and adolescents on cases of violence against them.
The state body also noted the frequency of interviews with the victims in the facility would be “minimised”, with Minister Zurab Azarashvili saying the main goal of the initiative was to protect children who were victims of sexual violence from re-traumatisation and to bring investigative activities and rehabilitation programmes into a single space.
The Prosecution Service of Georgia, which also participated in the process of developing the concept of the centre and ensuring compliance with legal norms, said protection of children from sexual violence and exploitation was one of its priorities.
The state body also pointed out it would use the resources of the newly opened psycho-social service centre “very actively” to prevent secondary victimisation of minors.
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.
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.
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 United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund on Wednesday said the Centre for Psychological and Social Services for Children Victims of Violence, an institution launched by the country with the support of the UNICEF and the Estonian Government, had supported up to 190 children victims of sexual violence in the country since its opening last year.