A recreational area for children was inaugurated upon the initiative of the Prosecution of Piraeus

The inauguration ceremony of the specially designed facility of Recreational Activities for Children was held on Friday, 14^th of June 2019 at the premises of Piraeus Prosecution. Aim of this initiative is to promote child friendly procedures according to the needs, the sensitivity and the vulnerability of minors.

This area is located at the 4^th floor of the prosecutorial services. Thanks to the inspiration and hard work of the people of “The Smile of the Child” a very formal and cold environment has turned into to a colorful, bright office, full of toys, fairytale books and psycho-educational material for children. The operation of this facility constitutes a good practice at the international level and unique in Greece.

The honorable Prosecutor of the Supreme Court Mrs. Xeni Dimitriou Vasilopoulou, the Head of Piraeus Prosecution, Mrs. Anthoula Bouba, the President of the BoD of “The Smile of the Child”, Mr. Costas Yannopoulos, judicial and prosecutorial servants, administrative staff and supporters of this initiative were present to the event.

In the opening of the event the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Mrs Xeni Dimitriou Vasilopoulou, who on a longstanding basis is next to children, congratulated the Prosecution of Piraeus as well as all the relevant actors for this unique initiative at local and national level as she mentioned. She also added that for the first time such a child friendly facility operates at the premises of a judicial building despite the fact that similar facilities operate at correctional facilities. In addition she said: “The Prosecution of Piraeus

The Prosecution of Piraeus created a bright and suitable space for the little souls who have been injured, with the aim to offer the possibility to children to advance their lives and ensure that they will not return to environments that do not suit them. In addition, she referred to the importance of this initiative which constitutes a step forward in promoting children-friendly justice and will contribute significantly to growing and strengthening the positive perception of children vis-à-vis the judicial institutions and the value of the rule of law.

Mrs. Anthoula Bouba, Prosecutor of Piraeus expressed her pleasure to see a longstanding vision to become reality given the fact that the child friendly area will help and empower children during the testimonies and judicial examinations.

Based on its staff and expertise and by recognizing the importance and the urgent need for this kind of social provision, ‘The Smile of the Child’ responded immediately to the call of the Prosecution of Piraeus for its volunteer contribution.

The President of the BoD of ‘The Smile of the Child’, Mr. Costas Yannopoulos said: ‘We are called upon on a daily basis to support children who have been victimized and traumatized in their souls. For all these children whose life is not for given, the Prosecution of Piraeus developed a safe and positive environment for children. It would be impossible for us not to support this initiative with all our forces and we hope that similar initiatives will take place.

It is worth noting that this facility will operate at multiple levels. Apart from a waiting and recreational room this area will mostly serve us as a place where the hearings of minors will take place by the competent prosecuting authorities, aiming at reducing the negative effects of the courtroom environment and legal process.

We would like to thank the LEROY MERLIN company for their kind sponsorship of the material necessary for the renovation of this area.