The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Georgia to pay 10,000 euros over an ineffective investigation into a case of child sexual abuse.
The applicant, now 21, is to receive compensation for moral damage caused by the authorities’ failure to properly investigate the abuse she suffered as a child.
After a three-year process, the Strasbourg court found that Georgian law enforcement agencies delayed the case, with the investigation stalled for years due to inaction.
The Court noted that even when investigative steps were taken, the interests of the minor were not properly considered, leading to re-victimization. During police questioning, the teenager was repeatedly made to re-live the trauma experienced during the abuse.
The Court ruled that Georgia violated Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits inhuman and degrading treatment, and Article 8, which protects the right to private and family life.
The judgment states that law enforcement failed to adequately assess existing evidence and did not take sufficient steps to obtain additional proof.
The Court also noted that, although Georgia’s legislation on combating sexual violence largely meets international standards, the case revealed “a lack of willingness to conduct a meaningful investigation into serious allegations.”
The victim was represented by the organization ‘Sapari’ and its lawyers, including Eka Lomtatidze, Tamar Lukava, and Baia Pataraia. The case was submitted to the Strasbourg court in 2022.
By Lana Kokaia
Photo: The European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France; Source: CoE’s Web-site
