Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs takes part in inauguration of Center for Psychological and Social Services for Children Victims of Violence

The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, participated in the opening event of the center for psychological and social services for abused children organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the State Care Agency.

After the opening of the center, a conference and panel discussions were held. The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs addressed the guests invited to the event.

As Aleksandre Darakhvelidze noted, the priority for the Ministry of Internal Affairs is to protect the rights and interests of minors in the justice system as much as possible and to improve the protection mechanisms. 

Accordingly, it is important for the Ministry to conduct investigative and procedural actions with the participation of children who are victims of violence in an environment adapted to them.

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The participants of the meeting were also addressed by Dr. Ghasan Khalil, representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund in Georgia, Estonian Ambassador to Georgia – Riina Kaliurand, Deputy Prosecutor General of Georgia, Natia Merebashvili, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Chairman of the Standing Parliamentary Council for Child Rights Protection – Davit Sergeenko, Director of the State Care Agency. 

Psychological and Social Services Center for Children Victims of Violence is a special space created on the basis of the State Care Agency of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Protection for IDPs from the occupied territories of Georgia, where psychological and social rehabilitation of children who are victims/alleged victims of sexual violence, investigative/procedural activities, expert examinations are carried out.

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The investigators of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who are specialized in the direction of juvenile justice, as well as in the context of the investigation of sexual crimes, carry out investigative and procedural actions with the participation of minors in the mentioned psychological-social service centre, taking into account and protecting the best interests of the child.