‘Hayastan’ Daily: No One has Recorded That There is a Danger

‘Hayastan’ newspaper reports: The death of a six-year-old child from the village of Khushtarakh in the Tavush province has shocked everyone. The family's story was publicized several months ago in the April 13 episode of 'Open Windows'. The show’s crew filmed footage at the Hakobjanyan family home. The family lived in unsanitary conditions, and the children were in neglected situations. The mother of five of the seven children living in a one-room house explained that they had problems with food, and she was busy all day trying to find something to eat, which is why she couldn't clean the house. Watching that broadcast made it clear that the children in this family had been defenseless, and perhaps this tragedy could have been avoided if the relevant authorities had paid attention and intervened in time.

Moreover, the host even asked the governor of Tavush province to take care of the family during the broadcast. Why has this family and the children been subjected to neglect? In response to our question, Governor Hayk Chobanyan denied yesterday that anyone had approached him regarding this family and assured that the family had been under the supervision of the province's social centers for years.

“Even in 2015, the children were placed in SOS Children’s Villages for several months, but, you know, in the child protection system, the fate of the children and their right to live in care centers is given with parental consent, and the children's parent took them back home. However, the relevant bodies continued to keep them under supervision. To this day, no institution has recorded that there is a threat to the children's lives,” said the governor. But the children report that they have been abused multiple times; does this not mean that you, the relevant bodies, have failed? The governor stated that a case has been initiated and it would be wise to wait for the conclusion of the investigation, after which the reality will become clear. We are confident that as a result of the investigation, the grandfather and mother will be punished, while the corresponding agencies will get away unscathed.