The Ombudsman warns of serious shortcomings in the protection of children in Romania, highlighting a lack of school counsellors and psychologists and limited or non-existent access for minors to specialist psychological support services.
In an analysis covering January to December 2025, the institution points to major vulnerabilities in the way cases of violence against children are identified and managed. Local authorities and institutions often struggle to detect abuse, particularly within families, while many cases go unreported or are poorly reported due to community tolerance and fear of repercussions.
The report also notes weak interinstitutional cooperation, with police inspectorates and child protection services failing to consistently share information. Schools frequently do not report cases to child protection authorities, while rural areas face an acute shortage of social services. Monitoring of at-risk children is described as superficial, compounded by a lack of adequately trained social workers and psychologists.
According to the Ombudsman, some child protection cases are closed with recommendations for school-based counselling, despite counsellors often lacking the mandate or specialist training to provide such support. Long distances to social services, families' financial difficulties and poor communication between institutions and parents further limit effective intervention.
The report also highlights that authorities are sometimes unable to act due to parents or children refusing support services, often because of mistrust in local authorities or the belief that such assistance is unnecessary.
In bullying cases, children are frequently afraid to speak out and adults may dismiss their complaints. When action is taken, it is usually reactive and limited, with preventive measures in schools often ignored. The transfer of a child to another school is commonly used instead of addressing the root causes of violent behaviour.
The Ombudsman also warns that in domestic violence cases, children are not always considered in risk assessments or included in protective measures. A growing number of cases of psychological and physical abuse linked to parental alienation have also been identified, most often occurring during disputes over parental authority.
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