26 May 2021 – “At first I thought they would send me to a center where I would be locked up and have no other contact.” These are the words of D.F., 12, classified as an internationally wanted child by Interpol Greece and placed in the Safe Emergency Shelter and service of NISMA Arsis. As a result of conflicts between his parents, the father decided to take his son and return him to Albania illegally. Following his mother’s complainsthather child had been unknowinglytaken from her, the Albanian police arrested the father as a suspect for the crime of “kidnapping a minor”. It was decided to take the boy into immediate protection and place him in the Safe Emergency Service until the end of the investigation.
D.F. was immediately offered professional psychological support to help him alleviate his emotional and psychological condition. At the same time, communication was established with the Child Protection Unit at Tirana Municipality in order to be informed about the case and to comply with the applicable procedures.
“Getting psychological help first is crucial for the children who are placed in our emergency department, as they suffer from post-traumatic symptoms affecting their daily lives and overall well-being”, explained Katerina Mullalli, psychologist at the Center.
When D.F left the Center, as a result of the psychological session, he was calm and ready to understand and accept the difficulties he was going through. “Thank you very much for all your support. I have felt very comfortable here. When I come back to Tirana, I will meet you” said D.F.
His social adjustment skills, social skills, and overall well-being improved dramatically. In addition, the readiness and coordination of services with relevant structures accelerated thesearch for an appropriate solution, always keeping in mind the best interest of the child.
The services provided by the center aim to enable children to anticipate their future, to communicate their opinions and aspirations, and to take action to improve their social and personal adjustment.
