No institution cares about children's rights.
Last year, the Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev initiated the project "Justice in the Future - Prosecutors and Students Talk About the Law." Accompanied by prosecutors and investigators, he visited numerous schools across the country and shared his views on the work of the institution under his leadership and the necessary legislative changes. This would have been commendable if the audience for his reflections were capable of critically evaluating them and if it were not composed solely of students, and if the main message was not political in nature.
In order to clarify the circumstances surrounding Geshev's lectures, Adela Kachaunova, the Director of the Legal Program at the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), sent an open letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), the Ministry of Culture (MC), the Chairwoman of the State Agency for Child Protection (SACP), and the Legal Affairs Committee of the 48th National Assembly. Five months later, none of these institutions has taken any action.
Adela Kachaunova quotes statements made by Geshev, drawing attention to questions posed to him that are unusual for the interests of young people who have not yet obtained a high school diploma and give the impression of prior preparation. For instance, they show curiosity about the bankruptcy of Corporate Commercial Bank and the closure of the Specialized Criminal Court. Adela Kachaunova points out:
"Through his statements, Ivan Geshev practically involves children in political activities, as the presentation of ideas regarding the country's governance and changes in legislation, such as whether the prosecution should remain within the judicial authority and if there is a need for changes in the scope of its powers, are inherently political. Involving children in political activities, as well as in activities that are detrimental to their educational development, constitutes forms of violence against children according to the Law on Child Protection."
The letter also raises simple but extremely important questions - whether the rules for conducting meetings with students within schools were followed during Geshev's visits; whether the consent of their parents was obtained, and whether the purpose of each meeting was agreed upon in advance, whether there was timely permission from either of the two ministries for conducting these meetings, and whether they were aligned with the educational curricula.
The letter was sent on December 14, 2022. At that time, only the Chairwoman of the State Agency for Child Protection, Dr. Teodora Ivanova, explained that she had requested information from the Ministry of Education and Science (MES). Half a year later, during the presentation of the annual report of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee on human rights in Bulgaria on May 16, attorney Kachaunova emphasized the lack of any response from the state institutions to this open letter. As a result, the State Agency for Child Protection received a second response stating that due to the lack of a response from the Ministry of Education and Science, Dr. Ivanova "cannot form an opinion."
The State Agency for Child Protection (DAZD) has its own powers and is not subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Science (MON). According to the Child Protection Act, the agency can conduct its own inspections in schools, exercise control, and visit them without prior notice. None of these actions are visibly evident from the two letters received from the Agency, and the lack of information from MON does not hinder DAZD from taking actions in line with its own powers. The questions directed to Minister Penov and Minister Todorov remain unanswered, but it is now essential for them to clarify the reasons behind their silence and whether they see any issue with students being exposed to Ivan Geshev's persona.