Based on the calls received to the hotline of the
Human Rights Defender's office, as well as public information, regarding the
incident of violence in "Zatik" Yerevan child assistance center SNPO,
the Defender immediately initiated an examination procedure: a multilateral
discussion was conducted.
Letters were sent to the competent state authorities
with the request to receive clarifications. Considering the pressing nature of
the issue, the Defender strongly emphasizes the implementation of urgent and
concrete measures toward its solution.
In May 2023, the Human Rights Defender and the
representatives of the staff conducted an unannounced monitoring visit to the
"Zatik" center, a number of issues were recorded, which were mainly
referred to the right to be protected from all forms of violence in the
institution, the living space, as well as the standards of the bedrooms of
males, inadequate provision of records of cases of violence against and between
children, self-harm, escape and injuries as well as the lack of employee
resources and methodology of work implementation. The registered issues and the
corresponding recommendations aimed at their solution were sent to the Ministry
of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. A letter was also
addressed to the General Prosecutor's Office. Regular discussions were held
with the competent authorities (you can learn more about the recorded problems
by referring to the provided link https://ombuds.am/am/site/ViewNews/2519).
The Human Rights Defender has consistently
highlighted systemic issues within institutions responsible for the care and
protection of children, underscoring the imperative for prompt and
comprehensive resolutions.
The Defender emphasizes once again that the protection
of the child from violence is the primary obligation of the state. It is
necessary to analyze in detail the causes and contributing factors of violence
to take appropriate preventive measures in order to exclude any case of
violence against the child in the future.
In this context, the state is obliged to take urgent
and effective steps to eliminate cases of violence in child care and protection
institutions, as well as to ensure a safe and secure environment for children.
We kindly request our media partners to refrain from
publishing any information that identifies children, thereby mitigating the
risk of targeted exposure and ensuring the safeguarding of personal data.
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