The law enforcement and social assistance bodies fail to ensure the protection of child victims of violence and sexual abuse, experts of the International Center “La Strada” stated in a news conference at IPN. These provided a number of examples of injustice to children and warned that the lack of reaction or formal handling of cases of child abuse is typical of all the state institutions with intervention powers.
“La Strada” lawyer Natalia Bayram related the case of a number of girls aged between 13 and 17, who were subject to sexual exploitation. The suspect fled the country after the court rejected the applications of the prosecution and the defense and set this free even if the man has a criminal record and there is evidence showing that he called victims, while in remand detention as well, and constrained them to change their depositions. Even if the defense presented all the proofs and the higher court quashed the decision to release the man from remand detention, this managed to leave Moldova through the Transnistrian region as he had Ukrainian nationality.
“The most serious fact is that society realizes that one can escape punishment after committing such offenses. No money is needed to build equitable justice centering on the child victim. Only a sensible attitude on the part of the sides involved in a trial is needed,” stated Natalia Bayram.
Lawyer Ana Nani presented the case of a seven-year-old boy who is in the care of his grandmother. The minor was repeatedly ill-treated by his primary teacher, who is also the principal of the school. “The doctor concluded that the boy had bleeding wounds on the face, but the prosecutor recently changed his mind and ordered dropping the case. It has been over seven months since the first reports, but the child does not yet have an identity card, while the teacher continues work. Moreover, no action was taken in relation to her,” said the layer.
According to Ana Nani, the inaction of the law enforcement bodies and of the central and social assistance bodies, which were informed about this case, points to the authorities’ indifference to cases that involve children, especially from socially deprived families.
