The Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, Elena Perikleous, went on the spot to the accommodation structure where the incident of a child found outside the facility and no one opened the door for him to enter took place
The Commissioner went to the structure to ensure that the child is well and to be informed of the procedures followed. The Commissioner spoke with the child and asked the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare for an official investigation of the incident, so that she could take a position on the merits.
"I wanted to ensure that the first moves to review the protocol were not delayed so that the incident would not happen again until potential loopholes were identified to reshape the framework"
Were you informed about the circumstances of the incident?
I received a verbal briefing on what led to the crisis and how to handle it. I am identifying "grey areas" in the process, which I have discussed with the structure, while I await the formal assessment by the director of Social Welfare Services to make a full placement. The fact that the child was found outside the structure shows that the existing protocol was not enough.
Do you know what led to the incident?
Yes, however, I will wait for the official report to place it publicly.
Did they finally see the child?
An evaluation of the child was completed, including a pending portion that was completed on Tuesday.
Did you talk to the mother?
I have also contacted the child's mother, who was called to a meeting on Wednesday. As an Office, we will make sure that everything is done to protect the child.
