Child protection outpatient clinic remains: counties sign a contract for the future!

Child protection outpatient clinic remains: counties sign a contract for the future!

The child protection outpatient clinic at the Greifswald Institute of forensic Medicine sets a strong sign in the fight against child abuse. On Monday, December 10, 2024, representatives of the districts of Vorpommern-Rügen, Western Pomerania Greifswald and Mecklenburg Lake District signed a contract for the continuation of this important facility for another five years. In his speech, the 2nd deputy of the district administrator, Thomas Müller, recalled the explanation of the rights of the child of the United Nations and emphasized that the protection of the children is a central concern. This initiative is not only supported financially by the three counties, but also by the Ministry of Justice Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The child protection outpatient clinic enables clinics and doctors to carry out professional and legally relevant examinations in the event of suspicion on physical or sexual child abuse. Such forensic findings, which have shown an increase in the number of cases in recent years - 138 children were examined in 2023 and 83 reports - are crucial for the criminal prosecution of abuse. In addition, under the leadership of the University Medical Center Greifswald, the team brought together all the necessary fields, from pediatric surgery to psychology, to ensure the best possible treatment, which guarantees interdisciplinary and comprehensive care for the affected children. Information about these offers can be reached around the clock, as explained on the website of the University Medical Center in Greifswald. Here it is emphasized that the child protection group is not only available for acute cases, but also for legal and expert questions.

The outpatient facility, which was launched on January 1, 2020, is a reaction to tragic incidents, such as the violent death of a six -year -old girl from Torgelow. Through targeted training measures, specialists in the districts were sensitized in order to better recognize injuries to children and act accordingly. This shows the urgency and necessity of the child protection outpatient clinic, which is considered an essential part of child protection in the region, as can be seen in the steadily increasing number of cases and the need for medical-forensic expertise, as can be seen Strelitzius reported and University Medical Center Greifswald explained .