Ombudsman Ceslav Panico points to faults in the work done by law enforcement agencies and residential institutions to ensure the protection of residents against sexual abuse at the temporary placement center for adults with disabilities in Cocieri. The conclusion was drawn after monitoring two rape cases that occurred at the center last year, IPN reports.

The Ombudsperson’s Office noted that in February 2023, two residents of the center, a man and a woman, were victims of rape. Even though internal inquiries were opened in both of the cases, the Ombudsman says that the authorities’ different responses and the retraction of statements in one case point to gaps in the protection system.

According to the Ombudsman, the police initiated criminal proceedings only in the case of the man, while legal action was not taken in the case of the woman as she allegedly retracted her statements. The Ombudsperson’s report , drafted to bring to the public attention the shortcomings in protecting residents from sexual abuse at the Cocieri temporary placement center, highlights discrepancies and failures in addressing these sensitive situations.

The document underscores the mistreatment of residents through sexual and physical abuse and the state’s failure to initiate an effective criminal investigation. The report also mentions the national authorities’ failure to ensure appropriate protection of private and family life for persons with disabilities, as well as the authorities’ failure to ensure adequate psychological/moral protection and compensation for victims. The document emphasizes the lack of effective mechanisms for notifying situations of abuse by beneficiaries, but also inefficient measures to prevent any form of abuse between beneficiaries or against them.

The Ombudsman submitted a total of 26 recommendations to the responsible authorities. The Ombudsman noted that he will monitor the progress of investigations into both of the cases and the implementation of the recommendations and will insist on the need for a proactive and effective approach to protecting all victims, regardless of their mental capacities. The Ombudsman underlined the imperative to abandon the practice of assessing the authenticity of statements of persons with intellectual disabilities and urges the law enforcement agencies and residential institutions to act promptly and responsibly in such cases, ensuring appropriate and substantial treatment of all victims.