December 10, 2007

NEWS: Children's Ombudsman on minors' rights

Children's Ombudsman on minors' rights

The Children's Ombudsman will present in a press conference on
Monday the interventions and conclusions reached by the agency on the
implementation of children's rights in Greece.

The presentation will be made on the occasion of International
Children's Day of Broadcasting on December 12, the day television and
radio stations around the world dedicate some or all of their
programming to kids.

In an interview given to the ANA-MPA, Children's Ombudsman George
Moschos referred to the body's conclusions, stressing that the main
problem for children's institutions in Greece is the poor level of
welfare services provided by the state. The situation is equally
problematic regardless of whether it concerns children with
disabilities, neglected children, or children whose parents are in the
process of a divorce and fight for custody rights, he stated.

Infrastructures are inadequate and not specialized and there are no
psychologists or social workers in schools in spite of repeated calls
made by children requesting such a service, he stressed.

Only a small percentage of juvenile delinquents are so dangerous as
to need incarceration and therefore the majority of the children need
shelter facilities staffed by small specialized personnel units made up
of 7-10 persons resembling the family model. Furthermore, foster
parenting is essentially non-existent even though it is legally
guaranteed, he said.

FULL ARTICLE AT
http://www.ana.gr/anaweb/user/showplain?maindoc=5952856&maindocimg=2380097&service=100

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