Child in placement, assaulted by an employee of an Arad Association. 20 minors were urgently moved after accusations of abuse
A teenager in placement at an association in Arad arrived at the hospital, accusing he was hit by an employee. The authorities started an investigation and decided to move the emergency 20 other children from the center, against the backdrop of several allegations of physical, emotional and harassment abuse.
A teenager accuses of being hit by an employee of the association where he was in placement. Photo: Archive
A teenager in the care of an association dealing with children in placement in Arad county, accusing him of being hit with a blunt object by one of the employees of the center. As a result of this incident, the authorities started an investigation and decided, in an emergency, to move 20 other children to family types.
The General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) Arad transmitted, on Wednesday, July 23, that the situation started from the case of a 16 -year -old teenager, who claimed the aggression and needed medical care. Following the checks initiated by the case managers, the institution ordered the replacement of the protection measure for it and another 20 children between the ages of 8 and 19, who benefited from placement within this association.
According to the DGASPC statement, the Arad County Council has notified the termination of social service contracts concluded with the association, and all 21 minors were transferred in emergency in licensed family houses, both public and private, from Arad county.
“For 21 children, between the ages of 8 and 19, with a special placement protection measure at an association that contracted the provision of social services for children and young institutionalized young people, DGASPC Arad ordered the replacement of the protection measure. The Arad County Council notified the termination of social services contracts, and DGASPC Arad has had the special placement for all the beneficiaries. of licensed, public and private family, from Arad County. transmitted the institution.
Several accusations of abuse, including sexual harassment, have occurred
Several children in the care of the association said they were repeatedly subjected to bad treatments, physical and emotional abuses, and two girls reported that they were victims of acts of sexual harassment committed by an employee of the center.
“The competent authorities have already been notified, respectively the Arad County Police Inspectorate, the investigation being in progress to establish the exact circumstances in which the facts were happening, the identification of the responsible persons and their responsibility, according to the law”, says DGASPC Arad, quoted by Agerpres.
The director of the institution, Valentina Buzură, said that the DGASPC will not tolerate “any abuse of children” and gave assurances that it will collaborate with the authorities to clarify the situation and take all the necessary legal measures in such cases.
At the same time, DGASPC Arad has launched a public appeal, urging people who have relevant information about possible abuses committed on children to send to the authorities to support the investigation.
The association concerned by the investigation is at the fourth contract for the provision of social services concluded with the Arad County Council, for a period of three years each, and so far there have been no official notifications related to incidents or abuses within the Center.
