Czech child welfare cases reach record high as EU proposes online protections

Cases of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation in the Czech Republic reached a multi-year high over the past year, with official records exceeding 10,000 cases. Authorities removed 3,616 children from their homes, an increase of 300 compared to the previous period. Child welfare experts and the ombudsman cited a lack of specialized preventive services and operational guidelines, noting that official statistics likely represent only a fraction of total cases.

To address care shortages, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is finalizing over 300 new childcare groups supported by seven billion Czech korunas from the EU National Recovery Plan, though critics warn that regulatory quality standards remain unaddressed. Meanwhile, at the European level, the European Commission introduced the proposed EU KIDS Act, which would ban social media platforms for children under 13 and restrict unassisted accounts until age 15.

Sources: Deník N, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy.