Czechia will get its first Children's Ombudsman
There will be a Children's Ombudsman in Czechia as early as 1 July 2025, the Senate decided on Wednesday. The Children's Ombudsman is to focus on the rights of children who have been "forgotten" by the system. So what kind of cases will the office deal with?
Czech children have been waiting for an ombudsman for decades. The current support system, particularly for vulnerable and at-risk children, remains fragmented. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for some children to fall through the cracks and fail to receive the timely and consistent protection and assistance they need.
These cases are exactly the ones that should be addressed by the Children's Ombudsman. The role’s purpose is to focus on advocating for the children who are slipping through the system, ensuring their needs are met. The Ombudsman should also make recommendations for improvements across various sectors, including education, social services, and health while acting as a strong voice for children in public discourse. Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková, the government's human rights commissioner, told Czech Radio about the children this would serve:
“The Ombudsman should investigate complaints from children, parents, and others about violations of children's rights. This may include situations where, for example, children are placed in institutional care for reasons that could otherwise be more manageable, or when they are placed outside the family environment.”
It could also serve children who are stuck in the hospital care system and remain there for a very long time at a very early age, without any close person, she continues. The child welfare authorities should try to provide an alternative environment in foster care for orphaned parents. The Ombudsman would also be able to advocate for the rights of children from violent family backgrounds and help get these children the necessary help to remove themselves from those conditions.
The role could also help to deal with bullying in schools, Šimáčková Laurenčíková explains.
“The Ombudsman will not replace the current units tasked with dealing with bullying, such as the Czech School Inspectorate. However, it can and should highlight blind spots in the system or situations where one of the bodies that should have acted has not done so consistently.”
Šimáčková Laurenčíková further discussed who would be able to approach the Ombudsman:
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“Children, parents of children, and others who encounter violations of children's rights will be able to turn to the Ombudsman. For example, imagine a child growing up in an institution, where very harmful things are happening to them.
“At this point, the child can turn to the Ombudsman and request an investigation into the situation at the facility. This could involve inappropriate educational practices that violate children's rights, such as confinement in isolation, curfews, or harmful communication by staff. Unfortunately, such situations have occurred in the past.”
The Ombudsman will be selected by the Chamber of Deputies, with candidates proposed by the Senate, the president, and the Council of Universities. Children will also be involved in the selection process and will be part of an expert committee that will recommend the order of candidates to be elected by the Chamber of Deputies.
