2019-12-18
I express my deepest sorrow over the tragic death of 15-year-old Luka Siradze.
Firstly, I state with all assuredness that severe punishment will be imposed on everyone, regardless of rank or office, implicated in any offense by the State Inspector's Service-an independent investigative body the creation of which we have supported.
Most importantly, we all must do everything to answer every question that may possibly arise in relation to this case. The investigation conducted by said investigative body must answer each and every question regarding this incident, which is why I am instructing the Ministries of Interior and Education fully to cooperate throughout the investigation, which will be open and transparent.
As for the challenges facing the areas of juvenile justice, education, and healthcare:
Although, in recent years, we have taken a number of steps in this direction in order to improve legislation and practices, problems accumulated throughout the years persist. There remain practical challenges due, in some cases, to the absence of relevant services or an environment suitable for children, and to a lack of qualification among the participants of this process, in others.
We all, society as a whole, are responsible to Luka Siradze and his family for minimizing long-standing systemic gaps.
Therefore, I instruct:
• The Interior Ministry to take immediate action in order to put in place an investigative environment suitable for adolescents, ensure the relevant specialization and scrupulous criteria-based selection of detectives and managers working with adolescents, and to carry out their ongoing retraining and monitoring.
• The Ministries of Health and Education immediately to define a concrete timetable and plan for eliminating systemic gaps, and to present it within a week.
• The Ministry of Justice to produce a legislative vision of possibilities for providing additional guarantees for the protection of the rights of children in relations with the state.
The Government of Georgia assumes full responsibility for expediting the reform in this direction and for finalizing it in the shortest possible period, also for the coordination and transparent implementation of the process, with the engagement of professionals working on juvenile issues and all relevant actors. To that end, we are counting on support from our international partners.
Any attempt to use this tragedy for political purposes is unacceptable. Everyone must maximally cooperate toward the investigation.
Giorgi Gakharia
Prime Minister's Press Office