Children are increasingly opting to remain silent about their plights according to Anna Vella, a doctor within Sedqa’s Substance Misuse Unit, who made the observation during a national conference on child well-being.
“We had a terrible murder lately and I was working with the children involved and the carers kept saying that the children were all right and have settled down.
“How can a three-year-old simply accept the murder of a mother?” Dr Vella asked during a panel discussion yesterday, questioning whether children should be instigated to talk if they chose to be silent.
Dr Vella added that the issue was of even greater concern when those caring for children were aware that the children were hurt but chose to keep silent.
At the conference, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca called for better access to justice for children, saying this can no longer remain “a grey area”.
Children are not empowered or nurtured to enjoy a sense of control over their own lives
“The harsh reality is that most vulnerable children are not aware of their intrinsic right to access justice. They are not empowered or nurtured to enjoy a sense of control over their own lives,” the President said during the opening of the second edition of the National Conference on Child Well-Being.
The theme of the two-day conference, being held at the Grandmaster’s Palace in Valletta, is ‘Access to justice for children’.
The President also called for children to be given the opportunity to speak up.
“Children and young people are experts when it comes to their own experiences. Ideas, aspirations and the needs of children must be listened to and addressed and it’s the responsibility of adults to help these children and encourage them to develop their skills.”
Ms Coleiro-Preca also called for vulnerable groups within society to be given “focused attention” in order to ensure they were provided with equal rights.
The President said that the police, child protection services and psychosocial carers needed to be properly trained “to facilitate our united vision of a world in which children and young people have full access to justice”.