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Czech Republic: The protection and services available to minors who are physically abused in their families, and the age of legal adulthood (1 January 1997 - April 1998)

In a 24 April 1998 telephone interview, an attaché with the Embassy of the Czech

Republic in Ottawa stated that the age of legal adulthood in the Czech Republic is 18.

There are "several hotlines and clinics" in the Czech Republic which mistreated youths can use, two of which are Halina and the Children's Crisis Centre (CCC) (Prague Post 11 Feb. 1998).

The CCC was founded in 1992...and provides a 24-hour hotline service that children can call to speak with a counsellor. After making the initial call, a child can go to the center, speak with a psychologist and begin the process of dealing with the abuse. If necessary, children are allowed to stay up to three days for observation, during which time the police or parents are contacted, depending on the severity of the case. Techniques used in dealing with abuse include role-playing with puppets and videotaping of therapy sessions. Czech law states that a child has to describe the abuse only once and the video will stand up in court. In 1997, the CCC treated 628 cases (ibid.).

Halina, a one-year old organization that works with youths who were abandoned or mistreated by their parents, is "equipped to handle only 10 to 12 children at a time," and has two psychologists and two social workers as staff (ibid.).

According to page 1059 of Country Reports 1997, which is available at Regional Documentation Centres, "A children's crisis center was founded in 1995 and is 70 percent state supported. According to its director, around 1 percent of children are neglected, mistreated or sexually abused, but only about one tenth of all cases are registered by the police." It is unclear whether the crisis centre founded in 1995 is the Children's Crisis Centre mentioned above.

According to a 28 October 1997 Prague Post article, the deputy director of Nadace Nase Site (Our Child Foundation) stated, with respect to the government response to the need for protection of abused children, "The lack of cooperation among the various responsible departments, the lack of proper definition on who is responsible for what, the lengthy procedures and the inability to deal with problems in proper coordination is very visible."  According to the general secretary of the Czech Society of Social Paediatricians, there is "no law on the protection of children" (ibid.).

Additional information on protection and services available to minors who are physically abused in their families in the Czech Republic could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 1998. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Embassy of the Czech Republic, Ottawa. 24 April 1998. Telephone interview with an attaché.

The Prague Post. 11 February 1998. J.M. Giordano. "Child-Abuse Clinics Help Heal Wounds." (NEXIS)

_____. 28 October 1997. Michele Legge. "State Urged to Protect Children." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Electronic sources: IRB databases, Internet, NEXIS/LEXIS, REFWORLD, World News Connection.

Human Rights Watch World Report. 1998.

Transition [Prague]. January 1997 - March 1998.

Uncaptive Minds [Washington]. Qinte 1997 - Summer 1997.

Resource Centre country file on the Czech Republic. January 1997 - April 1998.