2023-12-12 13:10:06
Government puts child protection on the backburner – SPÖ finally wants to implement comprehensive child protection
Vienna (OTS/SK) – “The government is probably already in hibernation,” says SPÖ spokesman for children’s rights Christian Oxonitsch, summarizing Turquoise-Green’s behavior in the last few weeks. “Numerous urgent concerns are on the table, but the opposition is now being completely ignored. This is an untenable situation. Particularly when it comes to child protection, political standstill is simply not an option.” ****
In yesterday’s Family and Youth Committee alone, every single opposition motion was postponed and thus put on the back burner. The SPÖ children’s rights spokesman discussed the comprehensive protection of children from all forms of violence through a separate child protection law, child influencers and the urgently needed evaluation of child and youth welfare. “It has already been six months since the government announced that it would take action to protect children from abuse. So far, only piecemeal action has happened. We urgently need comprehensive preventive measures,” said Oxonitsch, who pointed out this urgency with a motion . “We need annual, mandatory sensitization of people who work with children. All institutions need professional teams and clear procedures when abuse is suspected. It is high time that the government takes its own promises seriously and presents its own child protection law.”
The children’s rights spokesman dedicated another application to the evaluation of child and youth welfare: “There is an absolute proliferation between the federal states. It would be urgently necessary for there to be uniform resources and quality criteria throughout Austria. A child in Burgenland has to receive the same benefits as one in Vorarlberg. It is the federal government’s task to correct these grievances. It has finally taken on this responsibility in the 15a agreement.”
The SPÖ MP also addressed the topic of child influencers. There is currently no regulation whatsoever for the phenomenon of children working on the Internet and their parents sometimes earning a lot of money from it. Christian Oxonitsch: “Back in May, the SPÖ club invited people to a round table on the topic. The problem is therefore known. We urgently demand regulations so that the privacy and rights of children are also protected online. The same must finally be regulated “What happens to the money the children earn.” A regulation similar to the culture or theater sector, where the money is invested in trust accounts for the children, would be conceivable. “Every day that these important issues are not addressed is another day in which child protection in Austria suffers. It is completely incomprehensible to me why the government does not finally act in the interests of children. As the SPÖ, it is our claim to children “Despite the government’s apparent hibernation, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that children receive the protection they deserve,” concluded Oxonitsch. (End) ts/up
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