Pupils of Ninotsminda boarding school report threats after testifying

Several former pupils of the Saint Nino boarding school in Ninotsminda have reported that after they gave testimonies to investigators, they received threats and were forced to leave their educational establishments.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that for almost a year, employees of the Georgian Ombudsperson's Office could not get into the above boarding school belonging to the Georgian Orthodox Church; the Archbishop of Shalta did not let social workers there either. On June 3, Nino Lomdjariya, the Georgian Ombudsperson, reported that since 2016, three criminal cases have been opened on violence in this school, and one case – on an alleged rape. As of the evening of June 6, 20 pupils had been taken out of the above boarding school.

Several young people turned to the Office of Nino Lomdjariya, the Georgian Ombudsperson, and told about cases of pressure they were exposed to at the boarding school. Ms Lomdjariya told about it on air of the "Rustavi-2" TV Company. "Several young people have contacted us; their cases we are currently studying. They were very excited and said that they were under pressured and forced to leave their current educational establishments. They are under serious psychological pressure," she said.

A former pupil of the Ninotsminda orphanage received threats after he testified to investigators, he himself said on air of "Mtavari Arkhi" TV Channel. According to his story, he told about violence from the administration: in the boarding school; he was beaten there with a stick and kicked. Now, they demand from him to stop cooperating with investigators; and his family also receives threats. The NGO "Partnership for Human Rights" has twice fruitlessly appealed to the prosecutor's office demanding to protect the young man and his family, the TV Channel has reported.

Another former pupil of the boarding school told reporters that after he testified to investigators, he was expelled from his educational establishment.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 12, 2021 at 04:09 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.