The Child’s Advocate, a long-awaited institution
Romania will soon have a specialised institution for children. A government bill in this respect is currently being debated in Parliament
Florentin Căpitănescu, 17.11.2017, 14:00
In October, the government in Bucharest approved the creation of the Child’s Advocate, an institution meant to deal exclusively with the protection of children’s rights that will allow the latter to take their complaints directly to this institution. The bill, which has now reached Parliament, is in response to a recommendation made to Romania by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva. On the other hand, the creation of such an institution in Romania is badly needed given that child abuse in this country is common practice. According to an official report, 10,000 children suffered abuse in 2016, which confirms a growing trend seen in recent years. The Child’s Advocate, a new, separate and independent institution, can hold responsible other entities with responsibilities in the field if the latter fail to do their job. The president of the National Authority for the Protection of Children’s Rights and Adoption, Gabriela Coman, explains:
“There are institutions with specific responsibilities. If we take as an example the body dealing with children in placement centres, its role is to monitor the way in which standards are met, if there is sufficient staff, if the staff meet the needs of the children, if the children receive proper care and go to school and, in the case of foster parents, if they fulfil their responsibilities regarding children in their care. The function of the Child’s Advocate is to receive any complaint a child may submit about institutions failing to fulfil their legal responsibilities.”
A public debate on the new Child’s Advocate bill was held on Thursday at the Parliament by the Ombudsman, the National Authority for the Protection of Children’s Rights and Adoption and the Save the Children Organisation. The Ombudsman, Victor Ciorbea, said intense lobbying is needed for the new institution to receive proper funding. If Parliament moves to create the Child’s Advocate, Romania will become the 36th European country to have an independent institution or a specialised department for children. (Translated by C. Mateescu)
