Russia's aggression continues to deprive Ukrainian children of childhood on International Children's Day
Фото із відкритих джерел
Today, June 1, is International Children's Day, celebrated annually. This initiative was supported by the UN, which declared the protection of the rights, life, and health of children as one of its priorities.
With the Geneva Declaration on the Rights of Children, adopted in 1924, the countries declared the need for social protection of children's rights, Rubryka reports.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion, more than 7.5 million children lived in Ukraine. They all suffered from Russian aggression: someone had to leave their native country, friends, and home and get used to other realities. Those who remained in Ukraine have been hearing explosions almost every day. Instead of spending time like children would do, they are in bomb shelters. Instead of sleeping in their beds, they often spend the night in sleeping places arranged by their parents in the corridor or bathroom because it's safer.
Daria Herasimchuk, the President's authorized adviser on children's rights, highlights that now children cannot go to school as before because many schools in Ukraine have been destroyed.
"They can't go dancing or to other clubs because these places they used to visit are no longer there. There are no more of their favorite playgrounds. There are no sports grounds. There are no homes… Our enemies are trying to take away our children's childhood," Darya Herasimchuk stressed.
This is a violation of the child's rights:
- to rest
- to leisure,
- to education,
- to family
Russia violates all the rights of minors in Ukraine.
- Victims of war
According to the official information of juvenile prosecutors, Russia killed 484 children and injured more than 992 injured in its full-scale war in Ukraine. These numbers are not final. Work continues in the places of hostilities, in temporarily occupied and liberated territories.
In addition to the conditions that the Russians create in the temporarily occupied territories, they change the citizenship of Ukrainian children, give them up for adoption, and family forms of education to citizens of the Russian Federation.
- Sexual violence
The youngest victim of Russian sexual violence is only 4fouryears old. This violates the right to protection against all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse enshrined in the Geneva Convention.
"During any war, children suffer, but what is happening in Ukraine cannot be described simply with words of suffering. Today, during the war, absolutely all children's rights are violated," Herasimchuk emphasized.
- "Dry" statistics
According to the data of the unified national platform "Children of War," as of June 1, 19,505 children are known to have been deported by the Russians. At the same time, the Russian occupiers, in their propaganda media, talk about 744,000 children allegedly "evacuated" from Ukraine. According to the Commissioner for Children's Rights, this figure is significantly overstated. At the same time, 371 children have been returned to their relatives. According to Daria Herasimchuk, the Russians deliberately abduct children with the aim of genocide of the Ukrainian people.
"Behind these numbers is a child's life mutilated, childhood taken away, and a family destroyed," Daria Herasimchuk emphasizes.
She adds that the Russians have two goals: to destroy Ukrainian children and to Russify them, that is, to replenish their nation with Ukrainians.
- Missing children
As for children who have disappeared on the territory of Ukraine, the presidential commissioner for children's rights emphasizes that a report on disappearance should be submitted to the police immediately, without waiting even a day.
"Most children are found on the first day of the search," Daria Herasimchuk said.
According to her, 96 percent of the wanted children are teenagers.
According to the National Police, 393 children are considered missing today. A total of 13,083 children have disappeared in Ukraine since February 24. Law enforcement officers found more than 12,500 minors during the full-scale war.
- "Children of War"
Today, the state portal "Children of War" is functioning in Ukraine for the search of children. It collects all data on missing and deported children to Russia.
You can use the portal if you need advice on "children's" issues or to notify:
- about a mission child;
- about crimes against children;
- if you found a child;
- if you are aware of the fact of the child's deportation;
- on the forced change of citizenship and documents of the child.
This portal is a testimony and personification of the genocidal policy of the Russian Federation towards Ukrainian children, Darya Herasimchuk stresses.
In March of this year, the Pretrial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, as well as Maria Lvova-Belova, who is the representative of the President in affairs of children.
Putin and Lviv-Belova are suspected of committing a war crime — the illegal deportation and transfer of children from the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, which took place at least since February 24, 2022.
Ukraine has also launched an investigation into the involvement of Belarus in the deportation of children.
