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CRINMAIL 1246:
Special Edition on Violence Against Children
In this issue:
To view this CRINMAIL online, click here.
Report shows shocking levels of violence against children
[NEW YORK, 12 October 2011] - Governments should strengthen laws and strategies to end violence against children, a coalition of children's rights organisations said in a new report released today.
The report, Five Years On: a global update on violence against children, reveals how despite numerous commitments and promises by States, millions of children continue to be humiliated, beaten, burned, sexually abused – and even killed – by the adults in their lives, their parents, teachers, caregivers and employers.
The report comes five years after a United Nations (UN) study documented the magnitude of violence perpetrated against children. It surveyed over 100 separate studies conducted by academic researchers, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies since 2006.
“Children around the globe are victim to staggering levels of violence and progress has been pitifully slow," said Jo Becker, Co-Chair of the NGO Advisory Council for follow up to the UN Study on Violence Against Children. "Violence against children is as urgent a crisis today as it was five years ago when the Secretary-General’s study was completed,” she continued.
Recent findings include:
- Across 37 countries, an average of 86 percent of children ages 2-14 experience physical or psychological violence in their home each month;
- 78 countries still authorize corporal punishment by teachers; in some countries up to 97 percent of students have been beaten in school;
- Children with disabilities are four to five times more likely to experience violence and sexual abuse than non-disabled children.
- In some countries, like the U.S. and the UK, children are two to three times more likely to be the victims of serious crimes than are adults.
- The known number of juvenile offenders executed worldwide rose by more than 50 percent in the last five years.
Some progress, however, was noted: the number of countries that prohibited all corporal punishment against children has nearly doubled since 2006; from 16 to 30. Among them are Kenya, Poland and Tunisia (2010) and the new state of South Sudan (2011). In some regions, states have adopted regional strategies to address violence against children
“The number of states banning corporal punishment is growing, but they are still too few,” said Becker. “Governments should ensure there is no legal defence for those who assault children.”
NGOs call on governments to immediately implement the recommendations from the 2006 UN Study. In particular, they urge governments to prohibit all violence against children through legal reform, and develop national strategies to address violence against children with sufficient resources for implementation.
Marta Santos Pais, mandated by the UN Secretary-General to tackle violence against children, stated the report, "highlights how far we are from safeguarding the right of all children to develop to their full potential in a violence-free environment, as violence remains widespread, socially condoned, and in many cases considered as a lawful practice, form of discipline, or sentencing of children.”
For more information, contact:
Layal T. E. Sarrouh, UN Advocate on Violence against Children
NGO Advisory Council for the Follow-up to the UN Study on Violence against Children, on lsarrouh.unvac@gmail.com
A more detailed CRINMAIL will be sent out via the Violence CRINMAIL list.
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Children's rights at the GA
The 66th session of the General Assembly is currently taking place in New York. You can view the agenda for the session, which details the wide-ranging discussions taking place.
As far as children's rights are concerned, the following annual reports were submitted to the General Assembly:
- The Status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, submitted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Download the annual report;
- The report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais. Download the report; and
- The report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Read her report.
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Latest News and Reports
Concerns over “rampant torture”
Six months into pro-democracy protests in Syria, allegations of human rights abuses perpetrated by supporters of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime proliferate.
In particular, human rights organisations have reported cases of detained protesters, including children, being subjected to severe torture. Amnesty International has documented 10 cases of children dying in custody, some of them mutilated either before or after death, and global campaigning organisation Avaaz notes the severe torture and death of 16 children in detention.
A UN-backed rights commission, meanwhile, has urged Syria grant it permission to enter the country to investigate these reports.
Full story.
On another grim note, a new report released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) cites evidence of the “systematic” torture and mistreatment of detainees in Afghan detention facilities, including children.
Among other things, the report notes that detainees accused of committing crimes against the State experienced abusive interrogation practices to obtain confessions. Full story.
Regional children’s rights Committee publishes first decision
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) has published its first ever decision on a communication, which finds Kenya in violation of the rights of Nubian children to non-discrimination, nationality and protection against statelessness.
The Committee has made recommendations to remedy the violations and decided to appoint one of its members to follow up on the implementation of the decision. Full story.
In other regional news, the fifth Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) is planned for 22 to 24 November, 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Twice a year and prior to the ACERWC’s sessions, the CSO Forum meets to discuss children's rights in Africa and ways of engaging with the ACERWC.
You can register for the Forum online here ; please address all inquiries on logistics to secretariat@csoforum.info.
Improving the treatment of child witnesses
Research by Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, released last year revealed that child witnesses often did not understand common court terminology such as "allegation", and that lengthy waits of 15-20 months before trial could both affect memory and create stress for child witnesses.
Last week, the New Zealand cabinet approved new measures to reduce trauma suffered by children testifying in court in the face of this compelling evidence that many are being repeatedly traumatised in the current system. Full story.
Corporal punishment
A survey conducted by the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Children (SPARC) in five districts in Pakistan has revealed that 76 per cent of parents are in favour of corporal punishment and believe that it is necessary to correct children's behaviour.
The survey findings were presented at a conference aimed at sensitising the media on the issue, at which journalists were urged to report on the issues of violence against children and abuse responsibly without humiliating children or their families by revealing the identities of the victims. Full story.
Committee on the Rights of the Child in the news
The Committee on the Rights of the Child's first Conculding Observations on Sweden's progress in implementing the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography have sparked a national debate.
The government was criticised on more points than Christina Heilborn, children's rights lawyer at Unicef's Swedish division, was expecting, including criticism on how refugee and asylum-seeking children are treated in Sweden. "The committee feel these groups aren't protected sufficiently here," said Heilborn.
"A general criticism, which has been voiced several times before, is about making the convention Swedish law. This is a recurring criticism against Sweden, and the government has chosen to completely ignore it."
The government, represented in Geneva by department officials, stated that Swedish laws generally provide children with better protection than the convention does.
When asked how the Optional Protcol would improve upon Swedish law, Heilborn responded: "One major difference would be a clear protection against discrimination, that all children in Sweden would have the same rights by law, whether they lack documents, are in hiding, asylum-seekers or Swedish citizens. Today children are divided into groups which have different rights. This is something which is not allowed according to the children's rights convention." Full story.
Travellers' rights
The Irish Government has told the UN Human Rights Council that Travellers could be designated as an ethnic minority.
There are 23,000 Travellers in Ireland, but successive governments have refused to identify them as an ethnic minority. The current Government's about face promises meaningful protection, as being legally recognised as an ethnic minority would give Travellers stronger rights in the areas of health, education, housing, culture and language. Full story.
For further information on ethinc minority rights, read the State of the World’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2011 report here.
UNICEF criticises Britain for jailing children over riots
Riots broke out in the United Kingdom in August this year, following what started out as a peaceful protest in North London demanding answers from the police for the fatal shooting of a local man.
As the riots spread to cities across the country, the Government announced a full-scale crackdown, telling young people involved in the riots that they would "experience the full force of the law."
In the wake of these harsh measures, UNICEF this week criticised the UK judicial system for locking up children involved in the riots and warned ministers that they are likely to be in breach of their international obligations to respect children's rights.
UNICEF said official figures showing that 45% of all under 18s detained on charges of rioting and looting had no previous criminal history were "very worrying", and represented a possible violation of the CRC. Read full story.
New website for the Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the CRC
The Campaign for United States Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child has relaunched its website and is proud to announce more "user-friendly, updated, interesting, effective, and helpful content."
Check it out at www.childrightscampaign.org.
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EVENTS
Africa: Deprivation of Children’s Liberty as the Last Resort
Organisation: Defence for Children International and African Child Policy Forum
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Dates: 7 – 8 November 2011
More details here.
Africa: Witchcraft Branding, Spirit Possession, and Safeguarding African Children
Organisation: AFRUCA – Africans Unites Against Child Abuse
Location: London, United Kingdom
Dates: 8 – 9 November 2011
More details here.
State accountability: International Colloquium on Children and Governance 2011
Organisation: HAQ – Centre for Child Rights
Location: New Delhi, India
Dates: 9 - 11 November 2011
More details here.
Europe: Tackling child poverty through supporting and strengthening families
Organisation: Eurochild
Location: Cardiff, Wales
Dates: 30 November – 2 December 2011
More details here.
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THE LAST WORD
“We are not just counting the days, but making sure the days count”.
Dr. Benyam Dawit Mezmur, 2nd Vice Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, on the follow up to the UN Study on Violence Against Children.
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