Romania Overview

Romania is a medium-sized country in South Eastern Europe , in the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula. With a total land area of 230,340 sq km, it is divided into 41 counties. The population of 22.3 million (2003) has a rich ethnic mix that includes Romanians, Hungarians, Roma, Germans and others. The great majority are ethnic Romanians, while the combined minorities account for about 10% of the country’s population. There has been a gradual decrease in population since 1990 due to both the negative natural growth (starting in 1992) and overseas migration. The latest data show that in 2003 there were almost 4.8 million children in Romania.

In 1947 Romania became a republic and modern Romania owes much of its legacy to the unsound policies of Nicolae Ceaucescu, dictator from 1965 to 1989. His rule and with it the communist system were overthrown by popular force in 1989. Since Romania has pursued transition to a market economy and a multi-party democracy system, with accession to the EU expected in 2007. That would normally mean a change in UN presence in the country, but UNICEF may have a strategic role to play in seeing through unfinished reform in the social sector and in child protection and child rights.

Child protection concerns

Deprivation of parental care

Children in institutions have been a priority for the Romanian Government as well as national and international organizations, since the 1989 fall of the dictatorship. A process of child protection reform was initiated in 1997, based on the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In 1997, the total number of children in institutions was 98,872. By the end of 1997, 39,569 children had been transferred to family-like residential units. By the end of 1999, there was a significant decrease in the number of children in residential care. In December 2000, with the takeover of units for the protection of children with disabilities, the total number of children looked after in the system increased, so that there were 53,335 children in public and 3,846 in private residential units. The percentage of children looked after in a family environment has increased from 20% in 1997 to approximately 50% at the end of 2002. Moreover, the number of large institutions (accommodating more than 100 children) has been reduced from 205 at the beginning of 2001 to 132 at the end of 2002.
During the period 1997-2002, 19 residential care institutions for children with disabilities were closed. The number of children with disabilities who are living with families rose from 55,867 in 1999 to 57,666 in 2002.

Deprivation of liberty

There are currently 1,000 children in detention and 400 in re-education centers. Although young offenders are located in an area specified for them, the prison holds both adults and children.
The alarming increase in juvenile delinquency and the significant number of children deprived of their liberty are of great concern. The present legislation and mechanisms for the administration of the law do not ensure that detention is the measure of last resort for children in conflict with the law. Due to lack of alternatives and lack of understanding of child rights, imprisonment is often the only form of sentencing recognized by judges.
The challenge is to develop a legislative and administrative framework to promote the community-basede restorative justice based on de facto application of international standards in the area of juvenile justice.

Exposure to violence, exploitation and abuse

A key concern is abuse in facilities for child residential care. In 2001, UNICEF conducted a national study on child abuse in institutions to identify the scope and form of child abuse and recommend ways to safeguard children’s rights. The study highlighted instances of psychological, emotional, physical and even sexual abuse. Statistics made available by the Ministry of Internal Affairs show that hundreds of children in institutions experience some form of sexual abuse, with reported cases increasing from 379 in 1998 to 582 in 2001. Abuse of children in families and in communities is also documented by a study conducted jointly by the Ministry of Health and Family and WHO.
Progress on child protection reform related to “street children” has actually taken a step backward. Statistically the situation was worse in 2002 than it was three years earlier. The causes for this are increased poverty in families and aggressive social behaviour, both of which force children onto the streets and put them at risk. In addition, other studies show that institutions no longer represent the main source of street children; instead the children are coming from broken homes or, in some cases, are abandoned.
Romania is a source, transit and destination country for trafficked women and children. The economic decline associated with the transition and the opening of borders with neighboring countries are direct factors in the emergence of this phenomenon. In spite of the lack of statistics, trafficking is believed to be a major problem which is affecting a growing number of children and women forced into sexual exploitation, pornography and begging. Internal trafficking networks target women and children to bring from poor regions to big cities. Trafficked women and children from outside Romania largely come from neighbouring Moldova, an extremely poor country.