“Children are asking and we must listen effectively by taking action to create an appropriate framework for preventing and combating violence,” Nadina Tsekeri declares “K”., Director of Defense for Children International Greece. “Financial resources and departmental coordination are critical,” he adds. For this reason, DCI, together with the European Child-Friendly Justice Network and with the support of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Theonis KoufonikolakuYesterday I organized an event called “Prevention and elimination of injustice against children”.

“Greece does not have a strategy to protect the rights of the child”, says Mrs Koufonikolaku “K”.“and we haven’t learned to listen to children.” The event was devoted to three topics: coordinated cooperation between various departments, legal protection and the necessary distribution of the state budget.

One of the participants was Benoit Van Kirsbilk, a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which recently assessed the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Greece. “We know that sometimes the government is not very consistent with this commitment,” said Mr. Van Caersbilk., “but we are convinced that the political will is there.” “The biggest problem is the lack of coordination and communication, these are eternal problems,” said Mr. Alexios Nikolopouloslawyer and head of the child protection program at the Children’s Rights Network.

The lack of necessary staff, especially lawyers, was highlighted Joy Galanocurator for juvenile affairs at the Ministry of Justice, as well as a special secretary for the protection of unaccompanied minors, Hercules Moscow, stressed that he wants to delve deeper into the part of integration and schools. “We need to imagine an ideal child protection system,” said Ms. Koufonikolakou, among other things, highlighting that one of the most important problems in Greece is the lack of relevance at several levels and the absence of a comprehensive national strategy for children. Both she and other speakers stressed that children must be at the center of any approach, present and heard.

The importance of legal protection for child victims, as well as protocols for protection and confidentiality in identifying perpetrators, and the need to provide resources to children were also discussed. Speaking on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Domnas Michaelidoutogether with her, emphasized that the government has developed existing programs and created new ones to protect children, naming, among other things, a child allowance with an annual budget of 1.2 billion euros and a foster family allowance in the amount of 375 to 1200 euros, depending from the needs of children, and which currently houses 557 children.