According to Appendix 1 of the Council of Europe CM/Rec(2018)5, nearly 17,000 children in Greece are separated from a parent in prison (this figure is an extrapolation). Ms. Theoni Koufonikolakou, the Deputy Ombudswoman for Children’s Rights, Greece, calls for the implementation of the Council of Europe CM/Rec(2018)5 and expresses her commitment to protecting the rights and needs of children with imprisoned parents.
“In light of the forthcoming reform of Greek correction law, our authority has… enquired amongst others about the existence of a monitoring system that guarantees including child friendly spaces… provided to ensure frequent and unmediated contact between prisoners and their children as well as about initiatives to promote multidisciplinary coordination between ministries and services to ensure early identification of children at risk and provision of support.”