In Batyovo asylum for children, their right to secondary education and other rights are violated (PHOTOS)

Well-known human rights activist Oleg Grigoriev posted on his page on Facebook a shocking information about the asylum for children in the village of Batyovo (Beregovo district). In the preface he writes:

"In general, I did not expect that children’s institution would be so closed. When we come to a jail, we are let in immediately, conversation with the warden takes 10 minutes, and we start to work. And here, there are children, children from families who are in difficult life circumstances, many children are victims of family violence, many children simply ran away from home. And such closeness. The administration of the asylum for children (Batyovo), rather than teaching children to be open to the world, build walls and locks, not letting anyone from the outside to show how children live."

Here is this article in its entirety.

An employee of the Department for implementation of the national preventive mechanism of the Commissioner’s Secretariat Anastasia Kluha together with the regional coordinator for public relations of the Commissioner in Transcarpathian region Oleg Grigoriev made a monitoring visit to the asylum for children of the Service for Children of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration, which is located in the village of Batyovo.

During the visit, there were 32 children aged 3 to 18 years old in the asylum.

During the monitoring visit, violations of the children’s right to secondary education were recorded. Only 4 of the 25 children of school age attend secondary school. The administration’s excuse was that the education level of many children is much lower than necessary at their age. Also, children from the Hungarian minority, while staying in the asylum, do not attend school at all, because the institution has not entered into an agreement with a school with Hungarian language of instruction. The administration has not provided alternative options for children’s education, as required by the legislation of Ukraine.

During the inspection of the dining room, kitchen and food, the monitoring team found that offal (liver) was purchased with expired shelf life. 

Employees of the asylum are not trained to work with children who have experienced abuse.

In the medical room, the monitors found of expired medicines. The nurse did not know how to provide primary care in emergency cases.

In one of the girls’ rooms, there were bars, which is unacceptable in children’s institution and against fire safety rules.

During the monitoring visit, special attention was paid to issues related to the work of psychologist. In particular, it was found out that individual and corrective work with children is not properly carried out. Psycho-pedagogical correction system involves working with each child based on deep analysis of personal development. But no well developed individual plans for psychological rehabilitation were submitted to the monitors.  

There are no stands with information on children’s rights, number of hotlines, where children can call in case of violation of their rights.

The reports of the Ombudsman on the visit are being prepared and will be sent to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and Transcarpathian Regional State Administration.