First ladies of Ukraine, South Korea visit Center for Protection of Children's Rights in Kyiv

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska and First Lady of South Korea Kim Keon-hee visited the Center for the Protection of Children's Rights in Kyiv today, July 15.

"A child undergoes a medical examination and, if it allows, tells a psychologist in a comfortable environment about his or her experience during the war. At this time, in a separate special room, an investigator listens to a story, sending the psychologist clarifying questions. Because a child became a victim of a war crime and the investigator’s task is to find out about it as carefully as possible, without further traumatizing, to later submit the data to a court in Ukraine or to the International Criminal Court. This is how the Barnahus international survey system works, created specifically for children who have survived a crime," Zelenska posted on Telegram.

According to her, this system has been operating for a month and a half in the Center for the Protection of Children's Rights, which opened in Kyiv to implement the Decree of the President of Ukraine under the guidance of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights. "During this period, this is how – carefully and safely – children who witnessed Russian crimes in the occupied territories or were abducted by Russia and now returned from captivity were talked to here," Zelenska said.

Today, she visited the Center together with First Lady of South Korea Kim Keon-hee.

In addition to psychological support, the Center does a lot of other things, including the provision of housing and social assistance to affected families.

"But its main mission is the restoration of human (in this case, children's) rights. Restoration of safety, respect, attention, and most importantly – justice. And therefore, also punishment for offenders, no matter how far they are. So that in any conversation with a child who has seen the most terrible things, every adult can responsibly say: do not be afraid. They won't hurt you anymore. Never," Zelenska emphasized.