Discrimination and bullying, coupled with indifference from adults, lead to psychological trauma, depression and emotional instability in children. All of this has serious consequences, including juvenile suicide. The obligation of adults is to react, to do everything possible to prevent such manifestations. This is the message of the People’s Advocate for Children’s Rights, Maia Bănărescu, issued in reaction to recent press reports of suicide cases among teenagers.

The Ombudswoman urges all actors responsible for ensuring the safety, development and well-being of children to pay close attention to their behavior and emotional state, to identify in advance the problems they face in order to intervene when children need adults’ help.

Children are vulnerable to the events happening lately, the way they perceive information about them, the reaction of adults and peers about their way of being, the options they have, says the Ombudswoman. Maia Bănărescu urges the authorities, parents, guardians, pedagogues and other specialists who interact with minors to pay attention to the emotional state of the children and to come with all the necessary support to ensure the best interests of the child.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people between ages 15 and 29 and remains one of the leading causes of mortality among children aged 10-19, although this phenomenon has a declining trend in recent years, from 25 cases in 2016 to 14 cases in 2020.

A teenager died yesterday after falling from the 22nd floor of an apartment building in Chisinay. No signs of violent death were discovered on the body, but no suicide note was found either. Angelica Frolov, coordinator of the LGBT Rights Lobby and Advocacy Program at the GENDERDOC-M Center, posted on Facebook saying that the transgender teenager who committed suicide had experienced bullying and abuse from her colleagues.