This morning, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the “Children’s Home” in Paleo Faliro, a specially designed space available for the first time in Greece, where juvenile victims of serious crimes testify.

The psychologist of the Sotiria Nika institution escorted Mr. Mitsotakis to designated areas and was briefed by the staff on the procedures and protocols followed to assess the mental state of each child so that they feel they are in a safe and friendly environment and, in cooperation with the investigative and police authorities, followed by a thorough examination of each minor by a specially trained psychologist based on international standards.

Mr. Mitsotakis stressed, among other things, that the Government had made significant progress in the area of ​​justice for children.

“What you do is very important. I really wanted to come and see this place because I saw how much progress we have made, especially in matters of justice for children. How can a child get into such a friendly place that is not related to any police department or any other structure,” the Prime Minister emphasized in an interview with psychologists and social workers of the special structure.

Psychologists said at the briefing that adherence to mental health assessment protocols for each child avoids secondary victimization of the affected child and minimizes the need for additional interviews. In the past, these statements have been forwarded to police departments.

The Children’s Home offers an environment in which abused children can talk about their traumatic experiences and provide information to solve crimes against them.

The Orphanage in Athens, which has been operating since December 2021, has handled more than 80 cases to date and is a key initiative to improve the child-friendly justice system and protect minors, according to a government statement. .

Also during the presentation of the “Children’s Home” project, it was emphasized that more cases of ill-treatment are now being recorded, while the Prime Minister noted that “this in itself is very important.”

RS. Nika even told the Prime Minister the story of a child who was completely speechless because of his experiences and managed to speak for the first time in three years after an interview in which he was able to pantomime testify about the persons who harmed him.

It was also pointed out that, thanks to the changes made to the Criminal Code, crimes against minors are prosecuted by law, and the statute of limitations begins when the victim reaches the age of majority. “It’s good that everyone already knows this: there is not only the will, but also the tools to deal with these terrible acts with maximum severity,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The importance of this process for the long-term mental health of the child is also noted. – You are doing two missions at the same time. One concerns the legal evidence that will allow justice to hear these cases, but you are also the first therapeutic step,” the prime minister said.

Greece’s progress in child-friendly justice is reflected in the EU Justice Scorecard 2022, where Greece is at the top and in 2019 at the bottom. “We were in last place, and now we are in first. And one of the reasons why we are in the first place is this initiative,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Orphanage is included as an action in both the first National Action Plan for the Protection of Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, presented by the Prime Minister to Parliament in November 2022, and the first National Action Plan for the Rights of the Child, which has been implemented since 2021.

New “Children’s Homes”

The work of the Children’s Homes of Athens and Piraeus as a matter of priority was deemed necessary, given that the Attica prosecution authorities receive the largest volume of related incidents.

The Ministry of Justice has taken concrete actions and initiatives to sign a lease agreement for the premises and its complete renovation, so that in the first half of 2023 the corresponding facility in Thessaloniki will be put into operation, and KTUP has already transferred the complete renovation of the building and HERACLION, Crete.

The operation of such spaces is international best practice and an obligation of states based on international and European law (Directive 2012/29/EU on the establishment of minimum standards for the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (Lanzarote Convention).

In addition to improving Greece’s position in child-friendly Justice, the latest European Commission Rule of Law Report (2022) mentions that for the first time the list of required courses at the National School of Bailiffs includes children’s rights as well as the principles of child-friendly justice .

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister of Justice Kostas Tsiaras, Deputy Minister of Justice Giorgos Kotsiras and Service Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Vasiliki Giavi to accompany the Prime Minister on his trip to the Children’s Home.

Government initiatives to protect children

According to the announcement, the Children’s Home initiative complements other important government initiatives for juvenile protection and child-centered justice, such as:

– Amending the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure to further protect victims of violence, with a special focus on juvenile victims.

– Changing the start time of the statute of limitations for juvenile offenses so that there is enough time during which the minor can report them and the state can hold them accountable so that these criminal acts do not go unpunished.

– Prosecution ex officio of crimes against sexual freedom when directed against minors.

– The crime of seducing minors is now only punishable as a felony in all its forms.

– For the first time, a separate provision for the rape of a minor with the only penalty provided for is life imprisonment.

– The possibility of unconditional priority interrogation and familiarization with the case of those gathered on the above crimes (crimes against sexual freedom and crimes of economic exploitation of sexual life)

“For the first time, a provision on revenge pornography was standardized, with particular emphasis on, in fact, the protection of underage victims.

– Establishment of a special criminal registry for serious crimes against minors.

– For the first time, a clear legislative provision on the training of members of the judiciary and prosecutors in the principles of child-friendly justice.

^{Source: RES-IPE}