What Mr. Theodorikakos mentioned during the discussion of the National Action Plan against child sexual abuse and exploitation.
“The problem of child abuse is undeniably large and growing, with 1,118 registered cases in the last five years,” said Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos, during the discussion of the National Action Plan against child sexual abuse and exploitation.
“It is estimated that part of the observed increasing trend can be attributed on the one hand to the greater awareness of public opinion and on the other hand to the manifestation of trust in the Police Authorities, which are called to manage the emerging cases, given that actions have been drawn up and initiatives have been taken”, he said Mr. Theodorikakos.
The Minister of Citizen Protection informed about the actions that focus on the protection of minors, within the framework of the Anti-Crime Policy program (2020-2024) and the Strategic Operational Program of the Hellenic Police for the years 2021-2025.
As he specifically stated:
– A network of actions is being developed, a protection net for minor members, in collaboration with co-competent bodies: the Ministry of Education, social services etc.
– Actions are implemented by the Cybercrime Prosecution Division (safe navigation days, educational visits, television and radio spots, information leaflets, operation of the cyberkid.gr website and cyberkid application, presence on social media, etc.), which are part of the preventive measures for the protection of minors. Only in the year 2022 – so far – 249 meetings and actions have taken place.
– In the academic year 2021-2022, more than 1,100 lectures and educational activities were held in schools and institutions on issues of dealing with school bullying, domestic violence and improving traffic education. More than 155,000 students and teachers participated, while the educational activities will continue this school year as well.
– The Ministry of Citizen Protection takes care of the immediate response and the provision of all possible assistance to the requests of School Unit Directors, regarding issues that fall under the competence of the Hellenic Police and the rapid investigation of any complaints. Specialized actions are being developed for minors, with the main aim of protecting them from drugs, preventing their participation in criminal groups and protecting them from the possibility of being victimized.
For the training of police personnel:
– There have been 13 series of trainings for Greek Police personnel on the management of cases of physically abused children.
– It was applied to front-line Police Service personnel throughout the territory (mainland and island) and a total of 1,550 officers of the Corps have been trained to date. Specialized lecturers from the wider Academic/scientific community participated (Professors of Forensic Psychology, Lawyers specializing in child rights issues, Professors of Paediatrics, Appellate Prosecutors, Paediatricians, etc.).
For the protection of minors, a network of services has been developed with the aim of covering children from any risk.
At the staff level, the Anti-Drug and Juvenile Delinquency Department of the Directorate of Public Safety/A.E.A. operates.
At the operational level it operates:
– The Department of Internet Protection of Minors of the Electronic Crime Prosecution Directorate (DI.D.H.E.).
– The Juvenile Protection Department and the Department for Dealing with Juvenile Delinquency in the Juvenile Protection Sub-Directorates of the Attica and Thessaloniki Security Directorates.
– In the context of the National Action Plan for the prevention and treatment of sexual abuse of children, five (5) Offices for the Protection of Minors were established (as of 31/10/2021), in the structural structure of the Security Sub-Directorates of Patras, Larissa, Ioannina, Heraklion and Alexandroupolis .
“The goal is to deal holistically, uniformly and comprehensively with the phenomenon of abuse of minors,” said the Minister of Citizen Protection and explained that the goal is:
– The recognition of the problem at the local level and immediate manifestation of initiatives and intervention actions, by specialized personnel with the appropriate scientific training and knowledge background
– The human-centered approach – empathy, as the specific cases obviously escape the usual and general police treatment.
“The explosion of domestic violence, especially after the pandemic, is an international and at the same time timeless phenomenon, which also concerns our country and in many cases the victims are children”, said the Minister of Citizen Protection and emphasized that “against ” tacit tolerance” of the last decades, the response of the Ministry of Citizen Protection and ELAS was immediate”. Particularly:
– A Department for Dealing with Domestic Violence was created within the internal structure of the General Police Directorate and 18 Offices for Dealing with Domestic Violence were put into operation across the Territory. In the areas, that is, where it was deemed necessary based on the population data and the intensity of the phenomenon.
– More than 2,500 police officers have been trained to handle domestic violence cases.
At the same time, a wide network of collaborations and synergies is being developed:
– With the Society against Child Abuse “ELIZA”, a “Protocol of instructions for the management of incidents of abuse of minors” was drawn up, regarding the recognition and management of incidents related to the abuse of minors, with the aim of supporting the frontline police officer, the who can find himself next to a child, who is at risk of abuse/neglect, so that he can take the appropriate actions from the first moment.
– The Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Citizen Protection and the Association “The Smile of the Child” is being implemented. This Covenant concerns cases of children at risk, missing minors and missing adults.
– The Department of Combating Drugs and Juvenile Delinquency/D.D.A./A.E.A., extended the “Cooperation Protocol” with the Anti-Narcotics Organization (OKA.NA.), for five (5) more years (2021-2025) which also includes the training of police officers, in policing practices and approach to dependent persons, through targeted programs of informative lectures by O.KA.NA staff.
– The issues of the protection of minors have been included as a subject in the Schools of the Police Academy, while officers of the Hellenic Police also participate in post-educational programs as trainees, at home and abroad.
RES-EMP
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