7 July 2025 - Understaffing means no protection
The Volt Human Rights Committee expresses its deep concern about the serious understaffing of the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights. According to an official announcement, the Office currently operates with just three Officers, of whom only one can handle the numerous daily complaints about possible violations of children’s rights.
This situation is not just an administrative problem. Understaffing equals no protection. When institutions do not have the necessary resources and personnel, then children’s rights remain unprotected and violations go unpunished.
It is absolutely unacceptable that the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights is forced to turn to social networks to highlight its understaffing and the serious dysfunctions it causes. The government's continued indifference towards such a crucial institution exposes the inconsistency of the image it wants to project regarding the protection of the rights and well-being of our children.
We call on the Government to:
Immediately proceed with strengthening the staff and resources of the Office of the Commissioner.
Ensure that child protection institutions can fully respond to their work.
Show the required interest in the current situation and present a clear timetable for its resolution.
Children's rights are non-negotiable.
Cyprus must be a place that guarantees their protection, without exceptions!