Group of UN agencies demand a thorough investigation into the death of the 14 year old girl in Kobuleti
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Wednesday, February 17
The United Nations Family in Georgia expressed dismay at the recent suicide of a teenage girl from Kobuleti, extended its deepest condolences to the family, and called for a thorough investigation of the circumstances that led to the death of the 14-year-old girl.
According to the statement, this tragedy points to the persistent stigma around rape, sexual violence and exploitation and gender inequality in Georgia, shortcomings on the part of the child protection system, along with gaps in psychosocial assessment, provision of support services, and child-friendly justice for children in contact with Law.
A group of UN agencies says it is essential to set up specialist teams in the justice system to work exclusively on children and sexual abuse cases:
“We also recommend the creation of an integrated service for child victims of sexual violence that provides a child-friendly justice process and child psycho-social rehabilitation in one space.
Social norms and attitudes that condone sexual violence against women and girls and blame the victims or prevent professionals from reporting on the cases of violence also need to be confronted,” the statement said.
The statement read that immediate and energetic measures are necessary to avoid such tragedies and to ensure that the fundamental human rights are fully respected at all times and that in all situations and that women and girls are equipped with the right knowledge and skills and are empowered to make decisions about their present and future.
The United Nations stands in solidarity and stands ready to support the government, civil society, human rights defenders, and other partners in addressing the systemic issues that lead to such tragedies.
On February 9, a 14-year-old girl was found dead by her grandfather near her home in Kobuleti, Adjara region of western Georgia. Two people have been arrested in connection with the crime. The Interior Ministry reported on February 11 that the girl had been the victim of statutory rape.
Although the family of the minor said they had reported the crime a couple of months ago, the perpetrator, identified as N.T. and born in 1997, was detained only after the girl’s death. N.T., who knew the girl’s age, had sexual relations with her in June and December 2020, promising to marry her. The 23-year-old man has been arrested on charges of having sexual intercourse with a minor under the age of sixteen (Article 140) and leading to suicide (Article 115).
The second accused is a 76-year-old man, the teenager's grandfather. According to the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia, during interrogation after the arrest, S.C. confessed to the episode of December 10, 2020, and stated that he had committed violence against his granddaughter on that day.
The teenager's mother has been telling reporters for several days now that after grandfather and relatives found out that the teenager had been sexually assaulted, she was physically assaulted and warned to not tell anyone about the beating, as they (grandfather and uncles) believed she had "shamed the whole family with her behavior".
The juvenile's grandfather is charged with knowingly committing threat and domestic violence against a family member, Article 11-151, II part, sub-paragraph “C” and “D” and article 126-1, part II, subparagraph “A” of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which envisages imprisonment for 1 to 3 years.
