Submitted by crinadmin on
"The police treat us badly. They hit us. Not for any particular reason. . just because they feel like it. They have hit me lots of times. They hit with their rifles, or with sticks, on our backs and stomachs. And sometimes they just punch us in the stomach with their hands. They also take our paint thinner and pour it over our heads. They have done that to me five times. It is awful, it hurts really bad. It gets in your eyes and burns; for half an hour you can not see anything." The above testimony is from a 15 year old street child in Guatemala. Street children across the world are subjected to horrendous levels of violence, which often takes place in the hands of agents of the state - the very people who are supposed to protect them and guarantee their rights to a happy, safe and fulfilled life. The Realising Rights: Stop Violence Against Street Children campaign aims to reduce the levels of violence against street-involved children around the world and raise vital funds to support the Consortium for Street Children in this work. What the campaign is calling for: 1. Training and sensitisation of police in street children’s rights, needs and protection issues ; This year in November the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child celebrates its 20th anniversary. This is an opportunity to draw attention to the rights of street children, and put pressure on the world's governments to ensure that street children are no longer subjected to these unacceptable practices. How can you help?
2. Decriminalisation of so-called status offences ;
3. An end to all round-ups
4. Awareness-raising campaigns on violence against street children.