eng - World Organisation Against Torture

the factors in the adoption process whichresult in children’s prolonged stay in institutions.Furthermore, the Committeerecommends that the State party providefoster parents and foster children withadequate psychosocial services.Abuse and neglect, mistreatment, violence50. The Committee is deeply concernedabout the increasing reports of cases ofchild abuse and neglect in the Stateparty and the notable deficiencies in thedomestic legislation as regards penalizingall forms of abuse, neglect and mistreatment,including sexual abuse. Inaddition, the Committee deeply regretsthe alleged cases of sexual abuse of childrenin the framework of religious institutions.51. The Committee urges the State party toreview its domestic legislation in orderto penalize all forms of abuse, includingsexual abuse, neglect, mistreatment andviolence against children and to clearlydefine these crimes against children,including incest. The Committee recommendsto the State party that it takeeffective measures to prevent and protectchildren from sexual abuse and exploitationin the framework of religiousinstitutions, including by investigatingthe magnitude of such cases and by ensuringthat the perpetrators of suchabuse are brought to justice and that officialsof religious institutions are heldaccountable in these cases of sexualabuse and the exploitation of minors.52. The Committee urges the State party toconduct timely and adequate investigationsof all cases of child abuse andviolence with full practice of the rightsof the child victim in legal proceedings,for example by allowing videotapedevidence, in order to bring perpetratorsto justice and to ensure that child victimsof violence and abuse have accessto adequate counselling and multidisciplinaryassistance with recovery andreintegration.Children in prison with their mothers53. As regards children living in prison withtheir mothers, the Committee is concernedabout access to adequate socialand health services for these childrenand particularly, about their living con-72