site.btaUNICEF Begins Nationwide Survey on Children in Conflict with Law

UNICEF is starting a large-scale nationwide survey in Bulgaria to examine the condition of children in conflict with the law, UNICEF Bulgaria Child Protection Programme Coordinator Lyubomir Krilchev told BTA's Konstantin Kostov in an interview.

The survey will collect data on the number of children in conflict with the law, the way they are treated by various systems, and the development of the criminogenic situation for under-14 and under-18 kids over the last 10 years, Krilchev explained.

He said such a survey is necessary to make up for the scarcity of available data about what happens to such children in Bulgaria. The study will suggest future measures, he said, noting that not only the justice system but also the social system has a role to play in this area. The research will be carried out by an independent international organization with the assistance of national consultants.

According to Krilchev, national legislation on children in conflict with the law is out of date. The Antisocial Behaviour Act dates as far back as 1958 and is not aligned with the Child Protection Act and the new Social Services Act. The government programme envisions revising the Antisocial Behaviour Act or adopting new legislation.

Bulgaria does not have many programmes to assist children in conflict with the law, which is why the country has been criticized by various organizations, including the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Krilchev said.

Looking specifically at hooliganism, he said it is a problem requiring an interdisciplinary approach. It is the job of the police to control juvenile hooliganism, but the law enforcers can refer the kid to a social service or programme. The role of the police is limited; other systems, including the school system, need to do their part of the job. Systems seem to have difficulty communicating, the expert noted.

Each institution treats children within the scope of its own legal rights, Krilchev said. The links among the systems are weak. Even though the institutions share information among themselves, they fail to apply an interdisciplinary approach.

Krilchev called for legislative amendments and a strategy for children in conflict with the law.