EU states should learn from each other and exchange good practice, so that prisoners' children would have equal opportunities to thrive, no matter where they lived, President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said.
She was making the keynote speech at the Children of Prisoners Europe Conference in Stockholm.
During her speech, the President noted that parents in prison did not have the capacity to fulfil their legal obligations towards their children.
“Imprisoned parents are still legally responsible to ensure that the child is receiving all the required care and a proper education according to their abilities and aspirations. Yet a parent in prison does not have the capacity to fulfill these obligations,” she said.
The President said she believes there was disparity among countries in this regard, but this should encourage all member states to learn from each other.
“At a time when we constantly promote inclusive societies, the concept should be made a reality for children from a very young age”, the President said.
She encouraged the conference to discuss the formulation of a policy giving possible options in allocating a person or agency to assume responsibility for children of prisoners at a national level. She stated that children of prisoners should have a structured contact point that looked after their wellbeing.
The President said barriers surrounding the children took varying forms and included bullying, judging, embarrassment and exclusion.
“In the European Union alone, it is estimated that there are almost a million children whose parent is incarcerated. In Malta alone, the smallest state in the European Union, it is estimated that in 2010 there were 122 children of imprisoned parents, according to a study carried out by the non-government organisation Mid-Dlam Ghad-Dawl, which is represented here today.”
The President reiterated the importance of the contact between the child and the imprisoned parent, and the possibility of the parent to provide financial support to the child and the allocation of responsibility when the incarcerated parent is prohibited from doing so.
She congratulated Sweden for its initiative to try to incorporate the Convention of the Rights of the Child into its national law.
“Nature or nurture, I truly believe no child is born a criminal, but circumstances and lack of support may determine that child’s future and that is why children of prisoners should have a structured contact point that looks after their well-being,” President Coleiro-Preca said.