Due to serious understaffing of her Office, which is staffed with only three officers, the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children's Rights Desposa Michaelidou does not have the capacity to respond in a timely manner to the complaints it receives daily, as she states in a statement, while expressing her regret and assuring that efforts are being made to immediately strengthen human resources, so that proper functioning can be restored as soon as possible.
As Ms. Michaelidou states in her announcement, "only one officer handles the processing of incoming complaints, resulting in the continued accumulation of complaints and the increase in delays in their examination."
My Office, he notes, "will make every effort to respond with priority to particularly serious or urgent cases."
However, he adds, "the current situation may cause delays even in these cases."
The Commissioner also reminds that "in no case do I replace the competent Authorities and therefore, as a necessary condition to avoid further delays, individuals and other professionals should ensure that they have already contacted the competent Authority before contacting my Office." She also requests that notifications to the Commissioner be avoided at this stage.
Ms. Michaelidou expresses her regret "for the Office's inability to respond to possible violations of children's rights and I assure you that efforts are being made to immediately strengthen human resources, so that proper functioning can be restored as soon as possible."
"The areas of empowering the children themselves, as well as their legal representation in judicial proceedings, will continue as smoothly as possible," he assures.
"As an Institution, we remain committed to defending and protecting the rights of every child, with absolute transparency and responsibility," he concludes.
