Officials begin taking children out of Orthodox orphanage in Ninotsminda

The employees of the Agency for Regulation of Medical Activities have removed six children from the Saint Nino orphanage boarding school. Ten more children expressed their desire to leave.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in April and May, the managers of the Saint Nino Orthodox boarding school for orphans located in Ninotsminda did not allow the Ombudsperson to conduct an inspection there. The brutal punishment of children there was reported earlier, but the authorities failed to react, human rights defenders have stated.

On June 3, policemen detained the activists who demanded to conduct an inquiry into reports about violence in the Ninotsminda boarding school. When at trial, rights defenders will demand to remove all the pupils from the boarding school, the NGO "Partnership for Human Rights" has stated.

The Georgian Orthodox Church is using its influence to thwart the inquiry, Baiya Pataraya, the head of the "Sapare" (Protection Place) shelter for women and children, said on air of the "Formula" programme.

Eleven NGOs have demanded an immediate authorities' reaction and noted that the boarding school is headed by Bishop Spiridon (Abuladze), who was suspected of rape.

A former pupil of the boarding school said children were beaten up there, and in one case to death.

"A child of six or seven years old ran away. For that, he was beaten up to death ... During the fifteen years that I spent there, I tried to run away for about 30 times. I was given sleeping pills, and I fainted for three or four days," the young man said on air of "Mtavari Arkhi" TV Company. He noted that he was not allowed to meet with his mother for a year.