Due to severe understaffing, with only three officers on its staff, the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights, led by Despo Michaelidou, is unable to respond promptly to the daily complaints it receives, according to an official statement. The Commissioner expressed regret over the situation and assured that efforts are underway to urgently strengthen its human resources so that normal operations can resume as soon as possible.

As Ms. Michaelidou stated in her announcement, “only one officer is handling the processing of incoming complaints, resulting in the continued accumulation of cases and increased delays in their examination.”

She noted that the Office “will make every possible effort to prioritize responses to particularly serious or urgent cases.”

However, she added that “the current situation may cause delays even in such cases.”

The Commissioner also reminded the public that “under no circumstances do I replace the competent Authorities, and therefore, in order to avoid further delays, individuals and other professionals should ensure they have already approached the competent Authority before contacting my Office.” She also requested that, at this stage, notifications to the Commissioner be avoided.

Ms. Michaelidou expressed her regret “for the Office’s inability to adequately respond to possible violations of children’s rights and reassured that efforts are being made for an immediate reinforcement of staff to restore proper functioning as soon as possible.”

She confirmed that “areas relating to the empowerment of children themselves, as well as their legal representation in court proceedings, will continue as smoothly as possible.”

“As an institution, we remain committed to defending and protecting every child’s rights with absolute transparency and responsibility,” she concluded.