Children with parents in prison often find themselves in a very difficult situation through no fault of their own. The roundtable, organized by the non-profit organization International Prison Community z.s. and MP Eva Decroix, opened the way to a deeper understanding of this neglected group. Through the stories of the children, their families and people with their own experience of prison, a number of powerful testimonies were heard and joined by politicians and experts to discuss ways to improve the situation of these children.
"Children with incarcerated parents face situations that should not be part of their childhood - not only have they been deprived of a caring parent, but they are also affected by environmental stigma, misunderstanding and loneliness. It is our duty to not only open up this topic and look for ways to effectively help these children and their families. The cooperation of legislators, institutions and, by extension, society as a whole, is absolutely crucial in this regard." MEP Decroix opened the debate.
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"The roundtable right in the main hall of the Chamber of Deputies is intended to shed light on the problems faced by forgotten victims of crime, children of incarcerated parents, and to give us the impetus to push to be able to help them as best we can," Decroix added.
A large part of the event consisted of testimonies and experiences of families directly affected by the imprisonment of their parents. A 17-year-old girl who grew up with her grandmother after both of her parents ended up in prison shared her story. She remembers her father only from her early childhood, living with her until she was three years old. "When they shut him down again, they took him right in front of me and left me alone at the bus stop. I was ten at the time and had to get home alone," she remembered.
"The punishment did not only fall on the mother, but also on the children. They are often punished much more than their parents," came from one of the participants, who was taking care of her granddaughters during her daughter's imprisonment. She also mentioned that after release, family relationships remain severely disrupted. "She's still my daughter, but when we see each other, it's like a friend coming over. The gap has widened. The granddaughters think of her more as an older sister than a mother," she described.
Imprisonment of a parent has significant effects not only on the psyche but also on the further development of children. "These children face up to four times the risk of traumatisation. Trauma affects all areas of their lives, including their ability to form healthy relationships. If we don't help these children, the consequences can affect the whole of society," Safeguards Jitka Navrátilová, researcher of Parenting Behind Bars from Masaryk University.
The Chamber of Deputies is currently in the third reading of an amendment to the Act on the Public Defender of Rights that provides for the establishment of the position of children's ombudsman. The issue of children whose parents are in prison and finding ways to help them could also be one of the key topics on his agenda.
"The outcome of this meeting should be a clear task for all of us - to create one unified approach to which we all subscribe. After all, from the children's point of view, it kind of doesn't matter which organization is responsible for what." MP Decroix said at the end of the event.
"I very much appreciate the opportunity that MP Eva Decroix has prepared for the children and families of convicts. Incarceration tears families apart and tears relationships apart, it sinks families economically and humanly. Children are traumatised by the situation. We need to find solutions so that the imprisonment does not bring further devastation, but makes sense for the victim, for rehabilitation and is manageable for the family. This will be the subject of further debates by experts, not only from the judiciary. The children present in the Chamber also experienced the joy of a Christmas pageant and generous gifts. I will be very grateful if the Christmas party for children of convicts here in the House of Commons becomes a tradition. The depressing situation of children who cannot stand in for their parents, yet carry their punishment along with them, deserves attention, intensive care and advocacy," She concluded Gabriela Kabátová, Executive Director of the International Prison Community, z.s.
ODS/ gnews - RoZ_07
PHOTO - International Prison Fellowship, z.s.
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