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National SOS line for children and youth victims of sexual abuse and paedophiliaWithin the anticipated activities of the Action Plan on preventing and dealing with sexual abuse of children and paedophilia 2009-2012, adopted on 30 session of the Government of Republic of Macedonia on 18.11.2008, the First children's embassy in the world Megjashi on 07/07/2009 got the decision for the implementation of the Project opening of the National SOS line for children and young victims of sexual abuse and paedophilia.


The project objective is to contribute in overcoming the problems associated with violence to children in Macedonia by providing telephone line assistance and support to children victims of sexual abuse and paedophilia by:

o       Helping and supporting the sexually abused children and their parents and guardians;

o       Educating professionals and volunteers in order to provide effective assistance to children and their loved ones;

o       Cooperation with governmental and nongovernmental organizations / institutions, Centres for social work, schools and others, to ensure better coordination and prevention;

o        Informing the public about the problems of sexual abused children for raising the public awareness about the problem;

o       Improving the awareness of children, parents, institutions of this phenomenon and in this way to influence the prevention of this negative phenomenon.
 
National SOS line will be designed for all children and youth, as well as all other citizens who are directly or indirectly affected by this problem at the national level.
Target group as the direct beneficiaries includes children with a parent / guardian victims of domestic violence and other children (with or without a parent) who come from dysfunctional families where violence is present, constant abuse and illness, children and parents, victims of disasters.

Activities in August and September

To start with the realization of the anticipated activities of the project from July 2009, was named coordinator of the national SOS line, and that is Angelina Chalakoska which was active Volunteer from 2008 on the already existing SOS line.
Recruitment of volunteers: Individuals who volunteer long time to existing SOS line and it is planned to be included in the work of the National SOS line Vasilevska  are: Roza Vasilevska, Elizabeta Atanasova, Jagoda Naskovska as SOS operators and advisers, Katerina Konevska legal advices for free legal service, Tatjana Janevska as a part of the team Megjashi  and new volunteers involved in the work are Nade Misoska  and Sabina Kjosovikj.

We submitted a written request on 16.07.2009 to the Macedonian Telecom for a free 4 numbers SOS telephone line for reporting sexual exploitation of children and paedophilia.
It was prepared a guide book for protection of children from sexual abuse and paedophilia, under preparation is the design and layout of the guide book. Guide book was prepared by Mrs. Gordana Pirkovska Zmijanac - Program manager and founder, the review was made by Anthony Novotny, psychiatrist. 

Case 1. On 13/08/2009 we received a call from Mrs. A. which firstly asked us if maybe in this phone called the girl S. which was reported as a missing to the police. S. has 24 years and she is with mental retardation. She is a member of the First children's embassy with years. The same day after the first call again called us back and reported that the girl was found and that all are currently under stress because of the first sight exist suspicions that the girl was sexually abused. The next day 14/08/2009 called us her mother M. which thanked us for the support and wanted to ask for advice on starting a court procedure and expertise process. From the conversation we learned that S. has received appropriate medical care and was made the expertise, and is sought the perpetrators.

Case 2. On already existing SOS phone line 0800 1 2222 an anonymous caller called in to ask something that was related with the case of sexual assault by an adult on two underage girls. The caller was concerned why the assault was still in freedom and asked for more information. After our written request to the police station in Gjorce Petrov with request for information about this case on the response we received at 29.09.2009, was pointed that in the whole case have participated and representatives from ICSA - Skopje and against them are lodged criminal charges and they are sent to Primary Public Prosecutors - Skopje (in addition are the letters). 

Case 3. After the information on 03/09/2009 from the journalist Juliana Kimovska from Netpress on the testimony that the child victim of domestic violence reported to the public, we addressed the application to the Broadcasting Council of Macedonia. Besides the reaction to the Broadcasting Council, children's embassy addressed also to the Ombudsman. The response of the Broadcasting Council received at 23/09/2009 we learned that the decision was made to bring misdemeanour charges against the commercial broadcasting company "TV Sitel LLC Skopje. (messages in addition)

Case 4. On 16.09.2009 from the Ombudsman we received notification that was sent our complaint to 09/07/2009 for an affair between 14 year girl from Kriva Palanka and 40 years of adult male person. Since we learn that CSA in Kriva Palanka is notified for the case and has taken measures to investigate and in this direction is discussed with the child, the mother and adult person for whom there is suspicion that the affair with the girl In addition we attach the official letters.

Activities in October

Jagoda Naskovska is engaged from 01.10.2009 as co-ordinator of the project National SOS line for children and young victims of sexual abuse and paedophilia.
We organized a meeting on 16.10.2009 with volunteers that will be involved in the work of the National SOS line for children and young victims of sexual abuse and paedophilia.
At the meeting, volunteers were acquainted with the goals, needs and way of functioning of this line. Were agreed the methods of recording the calls made and the reported cases, respectively for the preparation of the data base of the information gathered. 
Volunteers, experienced SOS operators:

-          Roze Vasilevska - school teacher and family counsellor;

-           Elizabeth Atanasova-lawyer and family counsellor;

-          Nade Misoska- senior student of psychology;

Volunteers engaged in the operational part of the work of SOS Office:

-          Sabina Kjosovikj - student on Faculty of Economics;

-          Vera Stojanovska - Graduated Economist;

-          Nadica Antic - Graduated Professor of History;

New volunteers that began to work on the month of October:

            - Ivana Ivanova - Graduated Pedagogue.

            -  Biljana Zlateva on postgraduate studies for International migration and ethnic relations, on mandatory practice in Sweden

During the month of October 2009 we reacted to the three cases where it was reported sexual abuse and paedophilia.

Case 1: On 02.10.2009, on the free SOS phone for children and youth 0800 1 22 22 called Mr. J.D. from Makedonski Brod reported a case of the disappearance of his 16 years daughter M.D. from the yard of high school “St.Naum Ohridski” at 14 :00 at date 01.10.2009. The case was reported at the police station which was issued an warrant. Parents understood that their daughter is at the 30 years old D.C. from the village Brest.  On two occasions he by phone threatened them. Also Mr. J.D. has informed us that once D.C. was convicted of kidnapping of minor M.D. but it was released on conditional liberty. It is reacted to the police station in Makedonski Brod and it is asked from them to inform us by letters for the action and measures taken to protect the minor M.D. but from them we still haven’t receive any response. On 30.10.2009 again called her father J.D. worried because the police didn’t take any measures on 02/10/2009 except a conversation with his daughter and 30 years old D.C. after which they took her daughter home. He on the last interview of the 30th this month notified us that the girl again "escaped" two days ago and that when he told police they have received a response that they have no authority under law to take anything because the girl was 16 years. Megjashi is preparing for this case to notify the Ombudsman.

Case 2:  On 08.10.2009, on the free SOS phone for children and youth 0800 1 22 22 called an anonymous woman from call from the region of “HROM” that reported abuse of a minor by her mother. It is 10 years girl who is abused by her mother S.S. According to the testimony of the mother S.S. is very dangerous woman which is using her daughter for "dirty works." She by her mother was physically abused several times hit (she laid in hospital), left out from the home and hungry. The mother according to the caller has normal behaviour which had lovers' most of them rich Albanians. Mother practiced to take a photo of her daughter in to the arms of her lovers which images she was using for blackmail and extortion at them. Also the mother forced her daughter to shoot videos that the reporter of the case already has seen them and the case has already been reported in the police station by her. After this is reacted by letter to CSA in Skopje and the Hrom Police station in order to obtain more information on this case if it is already registered as we were informed by the caller. From the police station in Hrom by phone we were informed that they are not familiar with this case and that they would cause a procedure.

Case 3: On 19/10/2009 it is submitted a written request to the Public Procurement Office in Skopje in order to obtain detailed information about the case when the seventy-year-old paedophile on 30/08/2009 sexually abused two minor girls in an age of nine and ten-years old, which with their grandmother were resting in Skopje Recreation Centre-Saraj. From the response of the police station we learned that the case is filed criminal charges which is referred to the P.P.O. - Skopje.

Activities in November

On 13.11.2009 in the hotel “Vodno"- Skopje, the project “Childhood without violence” was held one day training on  topic "responsible parenthood" by the Clinical psychologist Stanislav Petkovski. Participants of the training were professionals, representatives from various institutions directly involved in the child protection system in Macedonia (representatives of almost all domestic institutions in the republic).
Participants had the opportunity to gain knowledge about various aspects of parenthood and the role of the parent:

- The need and importance of effective parental;
- The importance of the first year of child development, with special emphasis on psychological development, the role of the father and primary symbiosis with the mother;
- Timely (early) recognition of problems in parenting;
- Basic information about family therapy and systemic concepts: family cycles, ego-conditions (different types of communication with children), basic communication terms that positively or negatively affect the child.
- Different approaches of parenthood types of negative parents.
- Access to the development of parenting capacity;
- Life positions that lead to violence or guidance;
In this training took active participation employees and volunteers of the SOS line for children and youth at First children's embassy in the world Megjashi:
- Nade Misoska- Senior student of psychology;
- Ivana Ivanova - Graduated Pedagogue

- Biljana Zlateva on postgraduate studies for International migration and ethnic relations, on mandatory practice in Sweden

      -Jana Grozdanovska - graduated Psychologist
     - Svetlana Mulqueen - Graduated Pedagogue
     - Angelina Chalakoska - Graduated Psychologist

 

The accent was putted on the participation of new volunteers in order to gain a basic ways of communication (with children and adults).

Other active volunteers, operators of SOS line:

- Roza Vasilevska- school teacher and family counsellor;
- Elizabeta Atanasova- lawyer and family counsellor;

Other volunteers involved in the operational part of the work of SOS service:

 

- Vera Stojanovska - Graduated Economist;
- Nadica Antich Graduated Professor of History;