Children placed in residential institutions do not have a future. Info-Prim Neo interview with chidlren’s ombudswoman Tamara Plamadeala

{The institution of the post of children’s ombudsperson, the fourth ombudsperson in the Parliament of Moldova, was recommended by the Geneva Committee on the Rights of the Child and provided for in the EU-Moldova Plan of Action. Tamara Plamadeala is the first to hold this post.} [– After holding this post for nine months, can you say what real possibilities the children’s ombudsperson has to intervene in cases of violation of children’s rights?] – Under article 23 of the Law on the Ombudsperson, the parliamentary children’s rights ombudspersons have the right to ask for information and seek explanations from the local and central public authorities and persons holding responsible positions when the rights of a child are violated. On the basis of this information, they can submit applications over a given case to the court. The ombudsperson can investigate a case of violation of children’s rights by oneself. We reacted to all the cases reported by the press and made recommendations to the relevant bodies. [– What was the most serious case identified by you so far? Was it solved appropriately?] – The most serious cases involve the use of violence. One of them happened in Hancesti town, where police officers maltreated a child, forcing him into accepting blame for a theft. We asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to institute legal proceedings and sanction the persons who violated the child’s rights. It happened in December. The child’s parents are abroad. His grandmother, who is looking after him, lodged a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office. Three legal cases were opened and the case has not yet been solved. I, as children’s ombudswoman, will insist that those policemen be punished, at least disciplinarily. [– The Child’s Phone 0 800 11116 was launched on August 20 on your suggestion, in partnership with human rights organizations. Is this project efficient?] - During a month of the launch of the hotline, we have received about 50 calls from parents and three children, who complained of psychological abuse and violence. Material assistance for children was sought in 21 of the cases, legal assistance – in 14 cases. Five persons asked for consultations with the children’s ombudsperson. This telephone line enables the children to establish a dialogue with the ombudsperson when their rights are violated. [– Are there other methods that the children can use to ask for help? How are they encouraged to speak about their troubles?] – The children can file complaints by mail and email, but the children in rural areas have limited access to the Internet. We should to motivate them to trust the children’s ombudsperson. Our children are yet afraid, isolated and unwilling to communicate. We tried to discuss with children from a boarding school in the absence of the teachers. They could talk to us freely, but they did not want to. We tried to communicate with them with the help of the paper. We asked them to describe the problems they face in the institution during 5-10 minutes. One child said he did not like the food, another one complained about the attitude of the responsible persons. Some of them said they are deprived of school supplies, while others said they are not allowed to go home. [– You have visited about 50 childcare residential institutions. How does the system look from inside?] – I never agreed with this system and do not want it to exist in Moldova because these institutions violate children’s rights. There are social services in the community, extended families. The mayors’ offices and social assistants should look for solutions and place these children in family type children’s homes. For the local authorities, it is easier to place them in boarding schools, but the child should be raised in a family environment. [ – In July 2007, the Government adopted the Strategy and Plan of Action for Reforming the Childcare Residential System, aimed at halving the number of children living in residential institutions by 2012. What results have been achieved until present?] – We work to prevent the institutionalization of children. It is now more complicated to institutionalize a child. It would be hard to halve the number of children in residential institutions. We visited many such institutions and saw very few children who were deinstitutionalized and placed in biological or extended families or in family type children’s homes. [ – If you have to choose between leaving a child in an unfavorable biological family environment, for example when the parents are alcoholics, and placing them in a childcare residential institution, what do you choose. Why?] – No variant is appropriate as the children living in families where the parents are alcoholics are at risks, while those placed in residential institutions do not have a future, are not prepared for life. These children should be brought up in a family environment so as to develop normally. [– You have recently proposed sanctioning the mayors who do not take measures to ensure the observance of the children’s right to live in a family environment and decide to institutionalize them without considering other solutions. What kind of penalties have you thought of and how can they change the situation?] – Our legal expert works on this. We consider that the law on the local public administration should be modified so that it provides for the punishment of the mayors who take no attitude or even violate the rights of the children. They should be also fined. Maybe the attitude towards the children and their future will change then. [– What can everyone do to help the children in Moldova have a better life?] – Each of us should contribute to ensuring a better future and better living conditions for our children. We must not remain indifferent to their fate. The rights of the children should not be a minor priority as they are in our country. I would like that the people talk about children’s rights, how the children can be helped and who protects and supports them.