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In the first half of this year, 1,370 cases of possible violence against children were registered. There were 2,841 such cases in all of last year.
Less receptive to violence
“Although statistics show that cases of violence against children are declining, these figures may not be entirely accurate. People went through a huge emotional shock: the quarantine. People may have become more apathetic, less receptive to violence and less likely to seek help, ”says Ilma Skuodienė, Head of the State Service for the Protection and Adoption of Children’s Rights.
The number of complaints of violations of children’s rights remains similar to last year. During the first half of the year, 19,835 of them were received. According to I. Skuodienė, about half of the reports are unconfirmed.
“However, it is good that people are reporting possible violations of children’s rights, which shows that our society cares how children live. Even if the case is not confirmed, it is always better to react, assess the situation and make sure that the child is in a safe environment, that their rights have not been violated and, if necessary, provide help to the family, “he said. He says.
The most common form of violence is physical violence. However, the service believes that this may not be because other forms of violence are used less frequently, but rather because they are more difficult to identify.
During the first half of the year, the service had to ask the court 334 times for permission to take the children of legal representatives.
During the past year, there were 28% of these types of appeals. less than in 2019. This change has been influenced by the Temporary Care Institute, where it is in a difficult situation using the care of grandparents or close relatives until the family receives intensive help and the child is separated from the family only as the last resource.
The elderly are growing up in nursing homes
Currently, the number of foster children in Lithuania stands at 6,427.
The age of most children growing up in nursing homes is 10 to 17 years old.
During the first half of the year, 743 cases of termination of custody (care) of children were counted. The most common reasons for termination of custody are the return of the child to the parents (220 cases) and the adulthood of the child (482 cases).
During the first 2021. In the first semester of the year, 22 children were adopted who were left without the care of their parents and in the entire previous year, 51 children were adopted. Currently there are 154 families determined to adopt and waiting for their new relative. Most prospective adoptive parents are ready to adopt younger children, up to the age of three.
In the windows of life during 2021. I found three babies in the first half. In 2020, he left the most in the last three years since 2018 – including 10 children.
“When looking at the results for the first half of the year, we see that the situation is not very clear. On the one hand, we see that people become more involved and are more ready to accept children in their families, to help the smallest and most vulnerable people in the country, and that is a very good indicator. However, on the other hand, the decrease in the number of complaints of violations of children’s rights during the peak of emotional stress raises concerns about whether we are really sensitive enough to the pain of others in all cases ”, says the director of the service.
