Steps sought to safeguard rights of abused children

Social experts working in child care have called for the creation of regulatory and legal bodies to defend children who are subject to violence or abuse at child care centers and to be represented in court to safeguard their rights.
The children, aged 7-18 and who are residents at these centers, are unable to demand their own rights, the experts said. No exact figures exist on the number of children abused at these centers, added a source who asked to remain anonymous.
He said the children had been victims of direct or indirect abuse either through physical or verbal violence, orchestrated negligence for various reasons or non-observance on the part of some CCC workers to the psychological conditions of those children. What has further aggravated the situation is the non-availability of adequate numbers of psychologists or social workers in these centers, he added.
He proposed the creation of regulatory bodies that will aim to minimize severity of abuse on children residing at these centers. He also stressed the importance of giving children the right to assess their supervisors within these centers through the distribution of questionnaires.
He further added that whilst the installation of CCTVs could serve as part of the overall solution, it may be impractical due to the fact that abusers could carry out their abuse away from the lens.
Nisrin Taha, researcher and public relations officer at the Child Protection Unit of the Ministry of Social Affairs, stressed that the existence of a body or a group of persons to defend this category of children from abuse, whether from within or outside these centers, is part of a workable plan.
She acknowledged that there was no body that can represent those children if subjected to any form of abuse. She recalled their repeated demands on having specialized bodies to defend their rights at courts and to get the required assistance to live in dignity.
For his part, Col. Talal Al-Saidalani, director of Criminal Studies at the Jeddah Police department, affirmed the existence of a draft project which will represent this category of children. The project is composed of a committee drawn from governmental departments such as the Ministries of Health, Education, Police, Narcotics Combat, Judiciary, Governorates and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). He gave no details on the final date of the draft project on the grounds that the project was still under investigation.
Dr. Khalid Al-Fakhiri, legal adviser and member of the National Commission of Human Rights, said all child care centers report to the Ministry of Social Affairs. Any abuse practiced by CCC supervisors on residents (children) should be subject to accountability at the Ministry of Social Affairs because it is the MOS who conceived of these cadres, he said.
He stressed on their role as a legal body saying that they would surely defend the rights of children if any abuse is reported during their periodic tours and will hold any perpetrator of abuse against children accountable. He also stressed on the importance of providing facilities for lawyers who voluntarily come to court and defend such cases.
He affirmed there was a draft project aimed to minimize harm and give protection to anybody whose custody is under a person other than their biological parent, adding that the project is now in its final stages.