PROMOTING THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ONE in FIVE CAMPAIGN TO STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN EVENTS IN GREECE

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1 PROMOTING THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE ONE in FIVE CAMPAIGN TO STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN EVENTS IN GREECE PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION Aiming to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation, the Greek delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the MP and member of the Health, Social and Family Affairs Committee of the PACE, Mr. Michalis Katrinis took the initiative of organizing a campaign with a series of events in the framework of the Council of Europe ONE in FIVE Campaign to stop sexual violence against children. Event in Athens The inaugural event took place on June 9, 2011, in Athens and was attended by state officials and representatives of society. The event held in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Education, the Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Secretary General of Public Order, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, the Secretary General, the Diplomatic Advisor and MPs of the Hellenic Parliament. The opening speech was delivered by the Vice President of the Hellenic Parliament, Ms Rodoula Zissi, and followed by speeches by the Minister of Education, Ms Anna Diamantopoulou, the Member of the Committee on Social, Health and Family Affairs of the

2 PACE Mr. M. Katrinis, the Deputy Ombudsman on Children s Rights, Mr Georgios Moschos, the Secretary General for Transparency and Human Rights of the Ministry of Justice Mr Ioannis Ioannidis, His Eminence Bishop Daniel, the Head of the Electronic Crime Division of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, Mr Emmanouel Sfakianakis, the President of the NGO The Smile of the Child, Mr Kostas Giannopoulos, the Assistant Professor on Forensic Psychology of University of Crete, Ms Olga Themeli and the Head of the Directorate on Mental Health and Social Care of the Institute for Child Health, Mr Georgios Nikolaidis. Event in Thessaloniki Following-up on the effort to protect children from any kind of violation, Mr. Michalis Katrinis participated as keynote speaker in the second open supportive presentation of the One in Five campaign in Greece which took place on November 14, 2011, in Thessaloniki.

3 Apart from the Mr. Michalis Katrinis, MP, the MP Ms Eva Kaili, the Deputy Ombudsman on Children s Rights Mr. Georgios Moschos, the Secretary of the Central Scientific Council, Mr. Charalampos Karagiannidis, Secretary of the Central Scientific Council for Preventing and Addressing Victimization of Minors and Criminal Behavior of Youth, the representative of the Electronic Crime Division of the Ministry of Citizen Protection, Mr. Anastasios Papathanasiou from the Department of Electronic Crime, the Child Psychiatrist and Head of the Center for Children of the General Hospital Papanicolaou, Ms Lilian Athanasopoulos, the Social Worker in the NGO "Smile of the Child", Ms Stella Painter and the Psychiatrist and Head of the Directorate on Mental Health and Social Care of the Institute for Child Heath, Mr. Georgios Nikolaidis also intervened. This successful event was attended by representatives of the regional and local administration, Deputy Mayors, representatives of local agencies, representatives of student movements and many citizens. Event in Herakleion, Crete The third open event took place on December 12, 2011, in Herakleion, Crete, on the occasion of a sad incident involving a pedophile which took place in Rethymno and shocked the local community. Apart from Mr Michalis Katrinis, the MP of the prefecture of Herakleion, Mr. Ioannis Michelogiannakis, the Deputy Mayor for Social Policy, Welfare and Solidarity of the Municipality of Herakleion Ms Despina Syngelaki, the Deputy Ombudsman for Children s Rights, Mr. Georgios Moschos, the Chairman of the NGO "Oasis of the Child" Mr Vassilis Kafetzakis, the Professor of the Technological Educational Institute of Crete (T.E.I.), Nursing Department, Ms Maria Dafermou, the Psychiatrist and Head of the Directorate on Mental Health and Social Care of the Institute of Child Health, Mr. Georgios Nikolaidis also intervened during the event.

4 Apart from Mr Michalis Katrinis, the MP of the prefecture of Herakleion, Mr. Ioannis Michelogiannakis, the Deputy Mayor for Social Policy, Welfare and Solidarity of the Municipality of Herakleion Ms Despina Syngelaki, the Deputy Ombudsman for Children s Rights, Mr. Georgios Moschos, the Chairman of the NGO "Oasis of the Child" Mr Vassilis Kafetzakis, the Professor of the Technological Educational Institute of Crete (T.E.I.), Nursing Department, Ms Maria Dafermou, the Psychiatrist and Head of the Directorate on Mental Health and Social Care of the Institute of Child Health, Mr. Georgios Nikolaidis also intervened during the event. The event was attended by members of the Regional and Local Administration, Academics, Representatives of regional organizations, representatives of student movements and many citizens.

5 The speakers discussed extensively the incident, highlighting the problems faced in their field of competence, urging both the state to develop a national strategy, to coordinate the efforts of individuals or entities, to operate the existing structures and to modernize the legal framework, and the civil society to contribute effectively to the fight against the sexual abuse of children. Event in Chalkida, Evia Following up on the public presentations of the ONE in FIVE Campaign on protecting children from violation and abuse, the fourth event took place on January 16, 2012, in Chalkida, Evia. The local community warmly welcomed the initiative and the guests watched the event with great interest. At the event, which was opened by Mr Katrinis, intervened the MP of the prefecture of Evia, Mrs Ourania Papadaki-Papandreou, the psychologist of KEDDY (Centers for Differential, Diagnosis and Support for Special Educational Needs), Mr. Andreas Karistinos, the Deputy Ombudsman

6 for Children s Rights, Mr. Georgios Moschos, His Grace Archimandrite Timotheos Baimpakis, Chairman of the Association for Abused Children and Abused Women The good Samaritan and the Director of Mental Health and Social Care of the Institute of Child Health, Dr Georgios Nikolaidis. The event was attended by members of the Regional and Local Administration, Academics, Representatives of regional organizations, representatives of student movements and many citizens. We are continuing our efforts with the same fervor, so that the children's world will remain pure and unscathed, with no interventions or violations that leave their indelible mark. Chalkida, January 16, 2012 Michalis Katrinis