site.btaEvery Second Bulgarian Child Experiences Maltreatment, Says UNICEF Representative in Bulgaria

UNICEF Representative in Bulgaria Christina de Bruin said Thursday that some 50% of the Bulgarian children have experienced maltreatment. She spoke at a national conference ZaKrila: From Pilot Models to Sustainable Practices which took place in Sofia, on occasion of the International Day for the Protection of Children.

De Bruin underscored the importance of the common goal to provide secure social environment and safe living conditions for Bulgarian children, whose voices are ought to be heard. The event aims to recommend specific methods and approaches for prevention of violence against children.

The UNICEF Representative emphasized the constantly changing essence of violence as it nowadays emerges even more often on digital platforms where the aggression is expressed to a higher degree. The main hardship, according to de Bruin, reveals itself in the slow and ineffective institutional reaction in response to the latest challenges. She praised the efforts made by the Bulgarian State saying they have achieved an outstanding progress, thanks to strong leadership, significant reforms and innovations. The model of child protection serves as an example of how institutions and organizations can cooperate in an innovative way to offer various services in favor of children.

The UNICEF specialized service model Zona ZaKrila has reached more than 5,000 children, de Bruin reported. She recommended the implementation of the model all over Bulgaria in order to reach all children of the State. Bulgaria undertook actions to meet EU recommendations to develop the integrated systems of children protection and reached the final stage of the process, she added.

The final step towards enacting effective reforms can be completed only by the joint efforts of institutions and public services because child protection is an area of shared responsibilities and multilateral participation, de Bruin noted.  

The conference, held by UNICEF – Bulgaria, State Agency for Child Protection, the Institute of Social Activities and Practices, Animus Association Foundation, was attended by representatives of public authorities, experts and partners to discuss the means of guaranteeing a better protection and support for children, as well as ways to underpin the recovery of abused children.