The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, participated in the opening event of the Center for Psychological and Social Services for Children Victims of Violence 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 at the event.
As Aleksandre Darakhvelidze noted, the priority for the Ministry of Internal Affairs is to protect the rights and interests of minors within the justice system as much as possible and improve the protection mechanisms. Therefore, it is important for the Ministry to conduct investigative and procedural activities with the participation of children victims who were subject to violence in an environment adapted to them.
Participants of the meeting were also addressed by Dr. Ghassan Khalil - representative of the United Nations Children's Fund in Georgia, Ambassador of Estonia to Georgia - Riina Kaljurand, Deputy Prosecutor General of Georgia- Natia Merebashvili, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia and Chairman of the Standing Parliamentary Council for Childen’s Rights Protection - Davit Sergeenko, Director of the State Care Agency - Meri Maglaferidze and representatives of other agencies.
The Center for Psychological and Social Services of Children Victims of Violence is a space specially created for them on the basis of the State Care Agency under the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the occupied territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, where psychological and social rehabilitation, investigative/procedural activities, forensic examination and if necessary, involvement of other specialists is provided for children victims of sexual abuse.
The investigators of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who are specialized in juvenile justice and in the direction of investigating sex crimes, carry out investigative and procedural activities with participation of minors in the mentioned psychological-social service center, taking into account and protecting the best interests of the child.
