russia kidnapped over 700.000 Ukrainian children – Commissioner for children's rights
Фото: уповноважена президента з прав дитини Дар'я Герасимчук (president.gov.ua)
russia claims to have 738.000 Ukrainian children "evacuated" during its war.
The actual number of abducted is way higher, says Daria Herasymchuk, the Commissioner for children's rights and rehabilitation.
The scale of deportation of Ukrainian children by russia is unprecedented in world history. The aggressor country claims 738,000 "evacuated" and actually kidnapped Ukrainian children, but the total number will be higher.
"We're not just talking about child abduction, basically, deportation and forced displacement, not just children being killed and injured, but sex crimes, changing citizenships, adopting young children who won't remember where they're from. It's not just a crime against humanity, not just a war crime, it's genocide," Herasymchuk said.
According to her, there are several options for the abduction of Ukrainian children by the occupiers:
- from orphanages during the so-called "filtration";
- when the child is immediately separated from the family;
- when children are kidnapped after their parents' murder;
- after taking kids to "healthcare facilities" in an unknown direction.
In general, according to the commissioner, Ukraine has accurate and detailed information on more than 16,000 cases of child deportation. So far, 308 children have been returned to their homeland.
