Czech child protection cases reach record high amid policy debates

Reports from Czech social protection authorities indicate that child abuse, neglect, and exploitation cases exceeded 10,000 over the past year, marking a twenty-year record. State agencies removed 3,616 children from their families, an increase of 300 from the previous year.

Child welfare experts note that official figures reflect only a fraction of actual cases, pointing to a lack of operational guidelines and preventive social services. While some analysts attribute the rising statistics to growing social instability, others cite increased public awareness. Meanwhile, lawmakers are debating a Justice Ministry proposal to lower the criminal liability age from 15 to 13 for severe violent crimes, a move critics argue punishes youth affected by systemic institutional failures, including inequalities perpetuated by the education system.

Sources: Český rozhlas Plus, Deník N, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Seznam Zprávy.