Children in Mykolaiv region subjected to cruel treatment: no medical care and tied up with straps in children's institutions

In Mykolaiv region, serious violations of children's rights have been discovered in a rehabilitation center. The little ones were cruelly strapped to high chairs with belts, leading to swelling, including in a 6-month-old infant. This was reported by the Office of the Ukrainian Ombudsman, as conveyed by UNN.

Details

In the Center for Medical Rehabilitation and Palliative Care for Children, harsh methods of forced restraint were used to simplify care.

Children who required special care were strapped into high chairs and strollers so that they would not demand too much attention. This included even 6-month-old infants, whose hands were swollen and bore marks from the straps after being secured.

The administration of the institution explained this by saying that they "prevent injuries," but this method is unacceptable and violates the rights of the child.

Also, for 8 children, including 5 infants and 3 palliative patients, only two staff members were responsible, although there should have been 89 people according to the lists.

Staff also demonstrated a discriminatory approach towards children with disabilities, claiming that such children are "not needed by anyone" and "are not wanted in families," which is a violation of their rights to be raised in a family environment.

Also, in one of the evacuated institutions, children were forced to study remotely through messengers, even though the institution had all the conditions for conducting classroom lessons.

At the Lisohirsk Special School, evacuated children were divided into "their own" and "others," restricting access to essential services for the evacuated children.

Children lived in abandoned buildings where the living conditions were unsuitable:

• Overcrowded rooms (up to 10 children), the beds were placed closely together.

• Not every child had their own bedside table.

• The temperature in the rooms did not exceed 15°C, which is unwelcoming for children to stay.

Children were given expired psychotropic medications, and it was also recorded in one of the institutions that children who fell ill with scabies did not receive medical assistance for 9 days.