ONGOING PROJECTS
HOME – Helping Others Move Forward, Support and Empowerment Services
In 2022, a subtle amendment to the law on children’s rights went unnoticed by civil society, making it possible to institutionalize children even if they are between 0-7 years old, in a foster care center on the grounds of lack of services, seriously affecting the child’s right to family and community development, although the Government has committed to close the foster care centers and ensure that every child lives in the biological family, foster family or with a Professional Maternal Nurse (PMN). Such cases have been documented by CRJ in Mures County through direct interaction with children, families, DGASPC employees, City Hall, and local NGOs.
Justice for victims with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities
The project “Justice for victims with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities” is intended as a follow-up to the CRJ initiatives “AdaptJust – accessible justice for people with disabilities” and “Free to decide” which identified increased needs for comprehensive assistance to over 200 people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, victims of human trafficking offenses in the files of DIICOT Central Structure and DIICOT Territorial Structure Mures. CLR visited multiple social care homes between 2022-2023 and referred the cases to the prosecutor’s offices, also collaborating with investigative journalists.
MindfulJustice: Aligning Police Practices and State Accountability
The Romanian state has been condemned by the judges of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on several occasions for violations of the fundamental rights of vulnerable groups and in particular of persons with mental disabilities. An important aspect noted was the lack of procedures and tools at the level of police detectives and mental health professionals. The only manual for training police detectives dated from 2005 and there are no references no interventions when a person with mental disabilities is involved. According to the statements of professionals in the field, they are the first to be called when incidents occur or when emergency intervention is needed, including for the hearing of witnesses, victims or defendants with mental disabilities.
LITI-GATE. Strategic Litigation as a Gateway to address the rights of Persons with Disabilities in the European Union
The LITI-GATE project – Strategic Litigation as a Gateway to address the rights of Persons with Disabilities in the European Union – brings together 6 partners from 5 countries with the aim to promote enforcement of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights with strategic litigation activities to address breaches of the fundamental rights of persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities.
COMPLETED PROJECTS
AdaptJust – Accessible Justice for people with disabilities
Free to Decide. Transition from guardianship to Supported Decision Making for persons with disabilities
ENABLE. Enabling inclusion and access to justice for defendants with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities
Ensure the protection and safety of persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in risk situations. Advocate for the right to live independently and the right to health.
Innovating European lawyers to advance the rights of children with disabilities
Death Camps Next to You
Access to justice for children with mental disabilities
The project aims to ensure access to justice for children with mental disabilities, building on existing guidance and standards related to children, victims of crime and adults with intellectual disabilities.
THE PRACTICAL SCHOOL: Innovation in higher education and success on the labor market
Main objective: Extending the learning opportunities through the Practical School – essential factor for promoting the innovation in higher education, regarding the increase in competitivity and insertion of graduates on the labor market.
PROGRAMME NEWS
The cry of children with disabilities – illegally institutionalized by DGASPC Mures 11.01.2025 - Bucharest, January 11, 2025 On the morning of January 11, 2025, between 5:30 and 7:00 a.m., representatives of the Centre for Legal Resources (CLR) and of the Monitoring Council (Law no. 8/2016) carried out unnanounced monitoring visits in four foster care centers, under the subordination of DGASPC Mures, located in the municipality of Targu Mures....
National Disability Benchbook 28.08.2024 - Context Irrespective of whether they are victims of, witnesses to or alleged perpetrators of crime, persons with disabilities have significant difficulties in accessing justice and engaging with criminal justice actors (CJA). At the same time, while reported to be four to ten times more likely to be abused (including sexually) than their peers without disabilities[1],...
CLR amendments rejected by the Romanian Senate without a thorough analysis | Social Assistance Legislation on the Protection of Elderly and/or Persons with Disabilities 20.12.2023 - In July this year, we reported on the degrading treatment and inhumane conditions in which residents with disabilities and elderly persons were kept at the Căsuța Lu’ Min social care home in Bârdești, Mureș county. At the same time, the control actions of the CLR made it possible to put an end to the abuses...
CerAjutor.ro – website launch: report abuses instantly | PRESS RELEASE 13.12.2023 - Centre for Legal Resources, a non-governmental human rights organization, in partnership with the Public Ministry – the Prosecutor’s Office of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, have developed within the AdaptJust project – accessible justice for people with disabilities – a web platform for people with disabilities confined in social care homes, elderly homes,...
“I translated from Romanian into Romanian” – how the course for justice intermediaries ended 24.10.2023 - States Parties shall ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, including through the provision of procedural and age-appropriate accommodations to facilitate their active role as direct and indirect participants, including as witnesses, in all legal proceedings, including the investigative and other preliminary stages. Convention on the Rights...
Study visit to the Council of Europe: Roma inclusion and empowerment – Standards and cooperation activities 18.09.2023 - From 12-14 September, the Council of Europe Education Department hosted a group of representatives of the EEA/Norway Grant Programme in Romania “Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Increasing Roma Inclusion” on a study visit to the Council of Europe on Roma inclusion and empowerment. CLR, through our colleague Georgiana Bădescu, coordinator of communication activities within the...
Romanian care homes scandal spotlights abuse described as ‘inhumane and degrading’ – AP News 9.08.2023 - BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — After receiving distressed text messages from a young man worried about the conditions his friend was living in at a social care home in central Romania, Georgiana Pascu arranged an impromptu visit to inspect the facility. “In the beginning, we were quite sure there is nothing there,” said Pascu, program manager...
CLR: Meeting with the Prime Minister, Labour Minister and other NGOs 1.08.2023 - Georgiana Pascu, program manager of Advocate for Dignity by CLR, participated yesterday in the consultative meeting with the Prime Minister of Romania, Mr. Marcel Ciolacu, and the Minister of Labour, Ms. Simona Bucura-Oprescu, along with several NGOs, at the Romanian Government. The points discussed, submitted to the Government also in written form by the CLR,...