I was informed by the SAR that the reason for non-implementation of the
national Action Plan for the Strategy for Integration and annual financial statement
thereto is the lack of funds. Worrying is the information that with no real financial
support will be prevented all integration measures provided for 2015 as well.
VII. PROTECTION OF CHILDREN IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW
In connection with the reports widespread in the media on violence against
children in social educational boarding schools (SEBS) and the reform boarding schools
(RBS) in the country and referral from the State Agency for Child Protection (SACP) as
national ombudsman, acting as NPM, I issued orders on performance in 2014 of surprise
inspections in RBS "Nikola Vaptsarov" – city of Zavet, Razgrad Region, RBS "Angel
Uzunov" – city of Rakitovo, Pazardzhik municipality, Vocational secondary educational
boarding school (VSEBS) "Hristo Botev" – village of Podem, Pleven region, SEBS "Hristo
Botev" – village of Varnentsi, Silistra region, SEBS – village of Straldzha, Yambol rwgion,
SEBS "Hristo Botev" – village of Dragodanovo, Sliven region. The findings of the
monitoring held were published in a special report on the status and protection of the
rights of children in these institutions.
Profile of the children and young people accommodated in RBS and SEBS
and living conditions
In RBS and SEBS are accommodated children mainly because of stealing, for
running away from home, from the specialized institution in which they had been
housed, from school, for manifestation of aggressive behaviour, vagrancy, begging. Most
of the children come from a family environment; they grew up in poor, marginalized and
/ or incomplete families. In their families the children have not received adequate care
and have been deprived of parental control. For some of the children before placing
them in boarding schools measures have been taken for protection, but such have failed.
In the course of inspections the NPM found that the placement of children in one
and the same institution makes no distinction of their offences. So children who have
committed so called status-related offences - escapes, vagrancy, begging, etc., and
children victims of violence live with children who have committed an offence contained
materially signs of crime. That is to say, one and the same place accommodates
children who have committed violence and children victims of violence.
In the six boarding schools inspected by the experts of the Ombudsman it was
found that they are located in remote and inaccessible places, which is a prerequisite
for isolation of the children. This is a prerequisite to limit their right to visits by parents
and relatives.
The entry check regime in three of the establishments are neglected and creates
conditions for uncontrolled entry and exit of the boarding school (e.g. RBS – village of
Zavet, RBS – city of Rakitovo). On leaving the school on weekends, holidays or vacations,
the movement of the children is also not controlled.
Material facilities are generally in poor condition - poorly maintained and
extremely worn. Bedrooms are in bad condition, do not provide personal space,
furniture in most places is broken. Often children are not provided with toilet items and
accessories. The doors to the bedrooms did not lock, the inspections found broken locks.
Despite the worn equipment, generally in some of the schools funds had been allocated
and the joinery has been replaced (RBS– village of Zavet, RBS– village of Podem, SEBS –
village of Varnentsi, SEBS – village of Dragodanovo). Very negative is the finding of the
NPM concerning the presence of cameras in the bedrooms of the boys in RBS- village of
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