19991120

Convention on the Rights of the Child

Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989
Entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance with article 49

Preamble

The States Parties to the present Convention,

Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Bearing in mind that the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Recognizing that the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenants on Human Rights, proclaimed and agreed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,

Recalling that, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has proclaimed that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance,

Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the community,

Recognizing that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding,

Considering that the child should be fully prepared to live an individual life in society, and brought up in the spirit of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity,

Bearing in mind that the need to extend particular care to the child has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1959 and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in particular in articles 23 and 24), in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (in particular in article 10) and in the statutes and relevant instruments of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children,

Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth",

Recalling the provisions of the Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating to the Protection and Welfare of Children, with Special Reference to Foster Placement and Adoption Nationally and Internationally; the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules); and the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict, Recognizing that, in all countries in the world, there are children living in exceptionally difficult conditions, and that such children need special consideration,

Taking due account of the importance of the traditions and cultural values of each people for the protection and harmonious development of the child, Recognizing the importance of international co-operation for improving the living conditions of children in every country, in particular in the developing countries,

Have agreed as follows:
PART I

Article 1

For the purposes of the present Convention, a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.
 
Article 2

1. States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.

2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members.

Article 3

1. In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.

2. States Parties undertake to ensure the child such protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being, taking into account the rights and duties of his or her parents, legal guardians, or other individuals legally responsible for him or her, and, to this end, shall take all appropriate legislative and administrative measures.

3. States Parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or protection of children shall conform with the standards established by competent authorities, particularly in the areas of safety, health, in the number and suitability of their staff, as well as competent supervision.

Article 4

States Parties shall undertake all appropriate legislative, administrative, and other measures for the implementation of the rights recognized in the present Convention. With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, States Parties shall undertake such measures to the maximum extent of their available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international co-operation.
 
Article 5

States Parties shall respect the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents or, where applicable, the members of the extended family or community as provided for by local custom, legal guardians or other persons legally responsible for the child, to provide, in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child, appropriate direction and guidance in the exercise by the child of the rights recognized in the present Convention.
 
Article 6

1. States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life.

2. States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child.
 
Article 7

1. The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and. as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.

2. States Parties shall ensure the implementation of these rights in accordance with their national law and their obligations under the relevant international instruments in this field, in particular where the child would otherwise be stateless.
 
Article 8

1. States Parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, name and family relations as recognized by law without unlawful interference.

2. Where a child is illegally deprived of some or all of the elements of his or her identity, States Parties shall provide appropriate assistance and protection, with a view to re-establishing speedily his or her identity.
 
Article 9

1. States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child. Such determination may be necessary in a particular case such as one involving abuse or neglect of the child by the parents, or one where the parents are living separately and a decision must be made as to the child's place of residence.

2. In any proceedings pursuant to paragraph 1 of the present article, all interested parties shall be given an opportunity to participate in the proceedings and make their views known.

3. States Parties shall respect the right of the child who is separated from one or both parents to maintain personal relations and direct contact with both parents on a regular basis, except if it is contrary to the child's best interests.

4. Where such separation results from any action initiated by a State Party, such as the detention, imprisonment, exile, deportation or death (including death arising from any cause while the person is in the custody of the State) of one or both parents or of the child, that State Party shall, upon request, provide the parents, the child or, if appropriate, another member of the family with the essential information concerning the whereabouts of the absent member(s) of the family unless the provision of the information would be detrimental to the well-being of the child. States Parties shall further ensure that the submission of such a request shall of itself entail no adverse consequences for the person(s) concerned.
 
Article 10

1. In accordance with the obligation of States Parties under article 9, paragraph 1, applications by a child or his or her parents to enter or leave a State Party for the purpose of family reunification shall be dealt with by States Parties in a positive, humane and expeditious manner. States Parties shall further ensure that the submission of such a request shall entail no adverse consequences for the applicants and for the members of their family.

2. A child whose parents reside in different States shall have the right to maintain on a regular basis, save in exceptional circumstances personal relations and direct contacts with both parents. Towards that end and in accordance with the obligation of States Parties under article 9, paragraph 1, States Parties shall respect the right of the child and his or her parents to leave any country, including their own, and to enter their own country. The right to leave any country shall be subject only to such restrictions as are prescribed by law and which are necessary to protect the national security, public order (ordre public), public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others and are consistent with the other rights recognized in the present Convention.
 
Article 11

1. States Parties shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad.

2. To this end, States Parties shall promote the conclusion of bilateral or multilateral agreements or accession to existing agreements.
 
Article 12

1. States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.

2. For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law.
 
Article 13

1. The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child's choice.

2. The exercise of this right may be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:

(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; or

(b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.
 
Article 14

1. States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.

3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
 
Article 15

1. States Parties recognize the rights of the child to freedom of association and to freedom of peaceful assembly.

2. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of these rights other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
 
Article 16

1. No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation.

2. The child has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
 
Article 17

States Parties recognize the important function performed by the mass media and shall ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national and international sources, especially those aimed at the promotion of his or her social, spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental health.

To this end, States Parties shall:

(a) Encourage the mass media to disseminate information and material of social and cultural benefit to the child and in accordance with the spirit of article 29;

(b) Encourage international co-operation in the production, exchange and dissemination of such information and material from a diversity of cultural, national and international sources;

(c) Encourage the production and dissemination of children's books;

(d) Encourage the mass media to have particular regard to the linguistic needs of the child who belongs to a minority group or who is indigenous;

(e) Encourage the development of appropriate guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material injurious to his or her well-being, bearing in mind the provisions of articles 13 and 18.
 
Article 18

1. States Parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child. Parents or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child. The best interests of the child will be their basic concern.

2. For the purpose of guaranteeing and promoting the rights set forth in the present Convention, States Parties shall render appropriate assistance to parents and legal guardians in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities and shall ensure the development of institutions, facilities and services for the care of children.

3. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that children of working parents have the right to benefit from child-care services and facilities for which they are eligible.
 
Article 19

1. States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.

2. Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child, as well as for other forms of prevention and for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described heretofore, and, as appropriate, for judicial involvement.
 
Article 20

1. A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment, or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment, shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State.

2. States Parties shall in accordance with their national laws ensure alternative care for such a child.

3. Such care could include, inter alia, foster placement, kafalah of Islamic law, adoption or if necessary placement in suitable institutions for the care of children. When considering solutions, due regard shall be paid to the desirability of continuity in a child's upbringing and to the child's ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic background.
 
Article 21

States Parties that recognize and/or permit the system of adoption shall ensure that the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration and they shall:

(a) Ensure that the adoption of a child is authorized only by competent authorities who determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures and on the basis of all pertinent and reliable information, that the adoption is permissible in view of the child's status concerning parents, relatives and legal guardians and that, if required, the persons concerned have given their informed consent to the adoption on the basis of such counselling as may be necessary;

(b) Recognize that inter-country adoption may be considered as an alternative means of child's care, if the child cannot be placed in a foster or an adoptive family or cannot in any suitable manner be cared for in the child's country of origin;

(c) Ensure that the child concerned by inter-country adoption enjoys safeguards and standards equivalent to those existing in the case of national adoption;

(d) Take all appropriate measures to ensure that, in inter-country adoption, the placement does not result in improper financial gain for those involved in it;

(e) Promote, where appropriate, the objectives of the present article by concluding bilateral or multilateral arrangements or agreements, and endeavour, within this framework, to ensure that the placement of the child in another country is carried out by competent authorities or organs.
 
Article 22

1. States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that a child who is seeking refugee status or who is considered a refugee in accordance with applicable international or domestic law and procedures shall, whether unaccompanied or accompanied by his or her parents or by any other person, receive appropriate protection and humanitarian assistance in the enjoyment of applicable rights set forth in the present Convention and in other international human rights or humanitarian instruments to which the said States are Parties.

2. For this purpose, States Parties shall provide, as they consider appropriate, co-operation in any efforts by the United Nations and other competent intergovernmental organizations or non-governmental organizations co-operating with the United Nations to protect and assist such a child and to trace the parents or other members of the family of any refugee child in order to obtain information necessary for reunification with his or her family. In cases where no parents or other members of the family can be found, the child shall be accorded the same protection as any other child permanently or temporarily deprived of his or her family environment for any reason , as set forth in the present Convention.
 
Article 23

1. States Parties recognize that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child's active participation in the community.

2. States Parties recognize the right of the disabled child to special care and shall encourage and ensure the extension, subject to available resources, to the eligible child and those responsible for his or her care, of assistance for which application is made and which is appropriate to the child's condition and to the circumstances of the parents or others caring for the child.

3. Recognizing the special needs of a disabled child, assistance extended in accordance with paragraph 2 of the present article shall be provided free of charge, whenever possible, taking into account the financial resources of the parents or others caring for the child, and shall be designed to ensure that the disabled child has effective access to and receives education, training, health care services, rehabilitation services, preparation for employment and recreation opportunities in a manner conducive to the child's achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development, including his or her cultural and spiritual development

4. States Parties shall promote, in the spirit of international cooperation, the exchange of appropriate information in the field of preventive health care and of medical, psychological and functional treatment of disabled children, including dissemination of and access to information concerning methods of rehabilitation, education and vocational services, with the aim of enabling States Parties to improve their capabilities and skills and to widen their experience in these areas. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.
 
Article 24

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services.

2. States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right and, in particular, shall take appropriate measures:

(a) To diminish infant and child mortality;

(b) To ensure the provision of necessary medical assistance and health care to all children with emphasis on the development of primary health care;

(c) To combat disease and malnutrition, including within the framework of primary health care, through, inter alia, the application of readily available technology and through the provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking-water, taking into consideration the dangers and risks of environmental pollution;

(d) To ensure appropriate pre-natal and post-natal health care for mothers;

(e) To ensure that all segments of society, in particular parents and children, are informed, have access to education and are supported in the use of basic knowledge of child health and nutrition, the advantages of breastfeeding, hygiene and environmental sanitation and the prevention of accidents;

(f) To develop preventive health care, guidance for parents and family planning education and services.

3. States Parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.

4. States Parties undertake to promote and encourage international co-operation with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the right recognized in the present article. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.
 
Article 25

States Parties recognize the right of a child who has been placed by the competent authorities for the purposes of care, protection or treatment of his or her physical or mental health, to a periodic review of the treatment provided to the child and all other circumstances relevant to his or her placement.
 
Article 26

1. States Parties shall recognize for every child the right to benefit from social security, including social insurance, and shall take the necessary measures to achieve the full realization of this right in accordance with their national law.

2. The benefits should, where appropriate, be granted, taking into account the resources and the circumstances of the child and persons having responsibility for the maintenance of the child, as well as any other consideration relevant to an application for benefits made by or on behalf of the child.
 
Article 27

1. States Parties recognize the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.

2. The parent(s) or others responsible for the child have the primary responsibility to secure, within their abilities and financial capacities, the conditions of living necessary for the child's development.

3. States Parties, in accordance with national conditions and within their means, shall take appropriate measures to assist parents and others responsible for the child to implement this right and shall in case of need provide material assistance and support programmes, particularly with regard to nutrition, clothing and housing.

4. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to secure the recovery of maintenance for the child from the parents or other persons having financial responsibility for the child, both within the State Party and from abroad. In particular, where the person having financial responsibility for the child lives in a State different from that of the child, States Parties shall promote the accession to international agreements or the conclusion of such agreements, as well as the making of other appropriate arrangements.
 
Article 28

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular:

(a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;

(b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial assistance in case of need;

(c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means;

(d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children;

(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates.

2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity and in conformity with the present Convention.

3. States Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.
 
Article 29

1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:

(a) The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;

(b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;

(c) The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;

(d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;

(e) The development of respect for the natural environment.

2. No part of the present article or article 28 shall be construed so as to interfere with the liberty of individuals and bodies to establish and direct educational institutions, subject always to the observance of the principle set forth in paragraph 1 of the present article and to the requirements that the education given in such institutions shall conform to such minimum standards as may be laid down by the State.
 
Article 30

In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language.
 
Article 31

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.
 
Article 32

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

2. States Parties shall take legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to ensure the implementation of the present article. To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of other international instruments, States Parties shall in particular:

(a) Provide for a minimum age or minimum ages for admission to employment;

(b) Provide for appropriate regulation of the hours and conditions of employment;

(c) Provide for appropriate penalties or other sanctions to ensure the effective enforcement of the present article.
 
Article 33

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as defined in the relevant international treaties, and to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and trafficking of such substances.
 
Article 34

States Parties undertake to protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. For these purposes, States Parties shall in particular take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent:

(a) The inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity;

(b) The exploitative use of children in prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices;

(c) The exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and materials.
 
Article 35

States Parties shall take all appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent the abduction of, the sale of or traffic in children for any purpose or in any form.
 
Article 36

States Parties shall protect the child against all other forms of exploitation prejudicial to any aspects of the child's welfare.
 
Article 37

States Parties shall ensure that:

(a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age;

(b) No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time;

(c) Every child deprived of liberty shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of his or her age. In particular, every child deprived of liberty shall be separated from adults unless it is considered in the child's best interest not to do so and shall have the right to maintain contact with his or her family through correspondence and visits, save in exceptional circumstances;

(d) Every child deprived of his or her liberty shall have the right to prompt access to legal and other appropriate assistance, as well as the right to challenge the legality of the deprivation of his or her liberty before a court or other competent, independent and impartial authority, and to a prompt decision on any such action.
 
Article 38

1. States Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for rules of international humanitarian law applicable to them in armed conflicts which are relevant to the child.

2. States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons who have not attained the age of fifteen years do not take a direct part in hostilities.

3. States Parties shall refrain from recruiting any person who has not attained the age of fifteen years into their armed forces. In recruiting among those persons who have attained the age of fifteen years but who have not attained the age of eighteen years, States Parties shall endeavour to give priority to those who are oldest.

4. In accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect the civilian population in armed conflicts, States Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by an armed conflict.
 
Article 39

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to promote physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of a child victim of: any form of neglect, exploitation, or abuse; torture or any other form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; or armed conflicts. Such recovery and reintegration shall take place in an environment which fosters the health, self-respect and dignity of the child.
 
Article 40

1. States Parties recognize the right of every child alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law to be treated in a manner consistent with the promotion of the child's sense of dignity and worth, which reinforces the child's respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of others and which takes into account the child's age and the desirability of promoting the child's reintegration and the child's assuming a constructive role in society.

2. To this end, and having regard to the relevant provisions of international instruments, States Parties shall, in particular, ensure that:

(a) No child shall be alleged as, be accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law by reason of acts or omissions that were not prohibited by national or international law at the time they were committed;

(b) Every child alleged as or accused of having infringed the penal law has at least the following guarantees:

(i) To be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law;

(ii) To be informed promptly and directly of the charges against him or her, and, if appropriate, through his or her parents or legal guardians, and to have legal or other appropriate assistance in the preparation and presentation of his or her defence;

(iii) To have the matter determined without delay by a competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body in a fair hearing according to law, in the presence of legal or other appropriate assistance and, unless it is considered not to be in the best interest of the child, in particular, taking into account his or her age or situation, his or her parents or legal guardians;

(iv) Not to be compelled to give testimony or to confess guilt; to examine or have examined adverse witnesses and to obtain the participation and examination of witnesses on his or her behalf under conditions of equality;

(v) If considered to have infringed the penal law, to have this decision and any measures imposed in consequence thereof reviewed by a higher competent, independent and impartial authority or judicial body according to law;

(vi) To have the free assistance of an interpreter if the child cannot understand or speak the language used;

(vii) To have his or her privacy fully respected at all stages of the proceedings.

3. States Parties shall seek to promote the establishment of laws, procedures, authorities and institutions specifically applicable to children alleged as, accused of, or recognized as having infringed the penal law, and, in particular:

(a) The establishment of a minimum age below which children shall be presumed not to have the capacity to infringe the penal law;

(b) Whenever appropriate and desirable, measures for dealing with such children without resorting to judicial proceedings, providing that human rights and legal safeguards are fully respected. 4. A variety of dispositions, such as care, guidance and supervision orders; counselling; probation; foster care; education and vocational training programmes and other alternatives to institutional care shall be available to ensure that children are dealt with in a manner appropriate to their well-being and proportionate both to their circumstances and the offence.
 
Article 41

Nothing in the present Convention shall affect any provisions which are more conducive to the realization of the rights of the child and which may be contained in:

(a) The law of a State party; or

(b) International law in force for that State.
PART II
 
Article 42

States Parties undertake to make the principles and provisions of the Convention widely known, by appropriate and active means, to adults and children alike.
 
Article 43

1. For the purpose of examining the progress made by States Parties in achieving the realization of the obligations undertaken in the present Convention, there shall be established a Committee on the Rights of the Child, which shall carry out the functions hereinafter provided.

2. The Committee shall consist of eighteen experts of high moral standing and recognized competence in the field covered by this Convention.1/ The members of the Committee shall be elected by States Parties from among their nationals and shall serve in their personal capacity, consideration being given to equitable geographical distribution, as well as to the principal legal systems.

3. The members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot from a list of persons nominated by States Parties. Each State Party may nominate one person from among its own nationals.

4. The initial election to the Committee shall be held no later than six months after the date of the entry into force of the present Convention and thereafter every second year. At least four months before the date of each election, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall address a letter to States Parties inviting them to submit their nominations within two months. The Secretary-General shall subsequently prepare a list in alphabetical order of all persons thus nominated, indicating States Parties which have nominated them, and shall submit it to the States Parties to the present Convention.

5. The elections shall be held at meetings of States Parties convened by the Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters. At those meetings, for which two thirds of States Parties shall constitute a quorum, the persons elected to the Committee shall be those who obtain the largest number of votes and an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of States Parties present and voting.

6. The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years. They shall be eligible for re-election if renominated. The term of five of the members elected at the first election shall expire at the end of two years; immediately after the first election, the names of these five members shall be chosen by lot by the Chairman of the meeting.

7. If a member of the Committee dies or resigns or declares that for any other cause he or she can no longer perform the duties of the Committee, the State Party which nominated the member shall appoint another expert from among its nationals to serve for the remainder of the term, subject to the approval of the Committee.

8. The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure.

9. The Committee shall elect its officers for a period of two years.

10. The meetings of the Committee shall normally be held at United Nations Headquarters or at any other convenient place as determined by the Committee. The Committee shall normally meet annually. The duration of the meetings of the Committee shall be determined, and reviewed, if necessary, by a meeting of the States Parties to the present Convention, subject to the approval of the General Assembly.

11. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the Committee under the present Convention.

12. With the approval of the General Assembly, the members of the Committee established under the present Convention shall receive emoluments from United Nations resources on such terms and conditions as the Assembly may decide.
 
Article 44

1. States Parties undertake to submit to the Committee, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, reports on the measures they have adopted which give effect to the rights recognized herein and on the progress made on the enjoyment of those rights

(a) Within two years of the entry into force of the Convention for the State Party concerned;

(b) Thereafter every five years.

2. Reports made under the present article shall indicate factors and difficulties, if any, affecting the degree of fulfilment of the obligations under the present Convention. Reports shall also contain sufficient information to provide the Committee with a comprehensive understanding of the implementation of the Convention in the country concerned.

3. A State Party which has submitted a comprehensive initial report to the Committee need not, in its subsequent reports submitted in accordance with paragraph 1 (b) of the present article, repeat basic information previously provided.

4. The Committee may request from States Parties further information relevant to the implementation of the Convention.

5. The Committee shall submit to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council, every two years, reports on its activities.

6. States Parties shall make their reports widely available to the public in their own countries.
 
Article 45

In order to foster the effective implementation of the Convention and to encourage international co-operation in the field covered by the Convention:

(a) The specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund, and other United Nations organs shall be entitled to be represented at the consideration of the implementation of such provisions of the present Convention as fall within the scope of their mandate. The Committee may invite the specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund and other competent bodies as it may consider appropriate to provide expert advice on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their respective mandates. The Committee may invite the specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund, and other United Nations organs to submit reports on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities;

(b) The Committee shall transmit, as it may consider appropriate, to the specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund and other competent bodies, any reports from States Parties that contain a request, or indicate a need, for technical advice or assistance, along with the Committee's observations and suggestions, if any, on these requests or indications;

(c) The Committee may recommend to the General Assembly to request the Secretary-General to undertake on its behalf studies on specific issues relating to the rights of the child;

(d) The Committee may make suggestions and general recommendations based on information received pursuant to articles 44 and 45 of the present Convention. Such suggestions and general recommendations shall be transmitted to any State Party concerned and reported to the General Assembly, together with comments, if any, from States Parties.
PART III
 
Article 46

The present Convention shall be open for signature by all States.
 
Article 47

The present Convention is subject to ratification. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
 
Article 48

The present Convention shall remain open for accession by any State. The instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
 
Article 49

1. The present Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit with the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession.

2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification or accession.

Article 50

1. Any State Party may propose an amendment and file it with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General shall thereupon communicate the proposed amendment to States Parties, with a request that they indicate whether they favour a conference of States Parties for the purpose of considering and voting upon the proposals. In the event that, within four months from the date of such communication, at least one third of the States Parties favour such a conference, the Secretary-General shall convene the conference under the auspices of the United Nations. Any amendment adopted by a majority of States Parties present and voting at the conference shall be submitted to the General Assembly for approval.

2. An amendment adopted in accordance with paragraph 1 of the present article shall enter into force when it has been approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations and accepted by a two-thirds majority of States Parties.

3. When an amendment enters into force, it shall be binding on those States Parties which have accepted it, other States Parties still being bound by the provisions of the present Convention and any earlier amendments which they have accepted.

Article 51

1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall receive and circulate to all States the text of reservations made by States at the time of ratification or accession.

2. A reservation incompatible with the object and purpose of the present Convention shall not be permitted.

3. Reservations may be withdrawn at any time by notification to that effect addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall then inform all States. Such notification shall take effect on the date on which it is received by the Secretary-General

Article 52

A State Party may denounce the present Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Denunciation becomes effective one year after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General.

Article 53

The Secretary-General of the United Nations is designated as the depositary of the present Convention.

Article 54

The original of the present Convention, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. In witness thereof the undersigned plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have signed the present Convention.

_________

1/ The General Assembly, in its resolution 50/155 of 21 December 1995 , approved the amendment to article 43, paragraph 2, of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, replacing the word “ten” with the word “eighteen”. The amendment entered into force on 18 November 2002 when it had been accepted by a two-thirds majority of the States parties (128 out of 191).
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19990921

Tax-exempt Child Abuse and Neglect ?

Just in case this excellent website disappears, we give you the opportunity to check the crimes committed by scientology and its devotees against children's rights and infancy. Please you are welcome to add up your experiences and articles on this theme.
Visit the message board.

Scientology & Dianetics

Part of Tax-exempt Child Abuse and Neglect
by Mike Gormez.

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way it treats its children."
-- Nelson Mandela

Scientology Executive Directive, 06.11.1989,*

"PAC ORGS SCHEDULES & FAMILY TIME."
-A thorough research revealed that there is no LRH [L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology] reference covering Sea Org members [scientologists who signed one billion year contracts] taking 1 hour family time per day. Also to have such break in schedules in the middle of production has been found detrimental to production and to violate LRH reference on keeping the form of the org. -- from a posting of Tom Voltz

Scientologists threaten children actors
The parents of one of the kids in the cast were called by members of the entertainment industry that were Scientologists," says Timbers. "They were told that if they were to continue with the show that it might be bad for their future career."

San Francisco Unified School District
hat is truly alarming is that Scientology, using its "Narconon Drug Prevention & Education program" label, was able to teach young children some of its doctrine about drugs and detoxification. The program is called by experts "irresponsible" and "pseudoscience," charging that students are being introduced to Scientology beliefs and methods without their knowledge.

Meagan Porpora at Scientology's Mace-Kingsley Ranch
The way the ranch handled discipline was very troubling. They had a fenced-in area about the size of a football field for the horses to run around, and if you did something wrong they would put you on the fence. What this meant was that you had to sit all day in front of the fence, and scrub the rust off with a toothbrush!! This could last for days and the only food you would get would be a bowl of white rice dry.
(for information on sexual abuse at Mace-Kingsley, look here

Student leaves school for sect
A commotion has broken out among students at the Vossius gymnasium in [Amsterdam] South because a fifth-grade student - who recently turned seventeen and for whom education is still partially compulsory - has decided to leave school in order to go fulltime into the Scientology sect. (

Son left in vehicle, Scientologist mother charged
SP Times 15 July 2003
A schoolteacher was arrested Sunday evening and accused of leaving her 3-year-old son in her locked vehicle for up to a half-hour while she grocery-shopped. The child was not hurt. Scientologist Kim Pesch, 38, a teacher at Scientology-affiliated Clearwater Academy, was arrested on charges of child abuse and resisting arrest without violence.

The story of Vivien Krogmann-Lutz
Precedent setting lawsuit. Girl of 13 was sent to Scientology's UK HQ and had to work as hard as an adult plus got no formal education. Her health suffered badly. She sued her scientologist parents for that and on the advice from the judge the parents settled with Vivien getting 35,000 euro.

Scientology is child abuse
I don't know if anyone can comprehend the remorse I feel for subjecting my children to this alienating, warped, repressive environment. I pray our story serves as a warning: SCIENTOLOGY IS DANGEROUS TO THE HEALTH AND SANITY OF YOUR CHILDREN!!

Scientology's children
SP Times, 10-11 November 1991 (en Français)
These are glimpses of Scientology's children. The stories in this two-day series will give you more glimpses. What they will not give you is the definitive story of Scientology's children because for the most part they exist behind a shroud.

Witnesses describe child lockups of little children
Hana Eltringham: "He put this 4½ year old little boy - Derek Greene - into the chain locker for two days and two nights. It's a closed metal container, it's wet, it's full of water and seaweed, it smells bad. But Derek was sitting up, on the chain, in this place, on his own, in the dark, for two days and two nights... That is sheer, total brutality. That is child abuse.

Sick Scientology children and their (mis)treatment
A witness testified: And I was called in to help to audit this little boy because I had a good reputation as an auditor. So, I went there and I found this little boy. He had a hundred and five fever. He was unable to move his head and his neck. . . And I went there with my E-Meter and I had this little boy pick up the cans, he was too weak to hold the cans. So, I-- just didn't do it. I said, "This child is too sick to receive auditing. I think he should go to a doctor." The Medical Officer said, "Well" -- he had a medical book in which he looked up certain things. And he said, "I don't feel that he's in any danger. We'll see how he is tomorrow."

Scientology sees children as valuable personnel assets and has a history of endangering them.

Scientology persecution of non-scientologist kids
Scientology isn't only known for its devilish neglect and abuse of cult children, the organization will also harass & threaten children of people whom are not members but who are perceived as enemies. All tax-exempt of course.

Scientology Founder's Family Life Far From What He Preached
L. Ron Hubbard was a bigamist, twice divorced, accused by one of his estranged wives of torture.

Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin of 20 December 1958, "PROCESSING A NEW MOTHER" by L. Ron Hubbard:
-Then the next important thing for a baby is to know he or she is winning. Don't expect him or her to do more than a baby can do. Grant beingness to a baby. ""You make that body lie in that cradle" is wonderful on babies up to six months.

Hubbard kidnaps his baby daughter
He kidnapped his baby daughter Alexis Valerie - whom he was later to disown as "illegitimate" - to use as a bargaining chip against his wife. A key figure in the kidnapping of Alexis, and later Sara Hubbard, was Frank Dessler .
Newspaper articles about this case are on the site of www.rickross.com

No grandparents for Scientology kids
Grandparents should not be permitted into the home of their grand-children until they have learned to behave themselves dianetically.

Hubbard leaves his baby Alexis unattended in car
Los Angeles Examiner, February 26, 1951: Last December 18th Hubbard was fined $50 by Municipal Judge Kenneth Holaday for leaving the baby unattended in his automobile while he delivered a lecture. A 10-day jail term was suspended. Los Angeles Times, April 11, 1951: Hubbard ... was arrested last November, assessed a $50 fine and given six months probation for leaving his child Alexis unattended in a parked car.

Children put on the dangerous "Purification Rundown"
I am now 7 years old I started getting auditing when I was 4 1/2 years old. I did my purification program at almost 6 years old and this was my best action. The Scientology Purification Program helped me to get the toxins, chemicals out of my body so I felt much better as my body. Then I did the communication drills.

The same "treatment" is used in Scientology's Narconon.
See this for Narconon Information . The Board of Mental Health, State of Oklahoma on 13 December 1991, denied certification: "The Board concludes that the program offered by Narconon-Chilocco is not medically safe."

Scientology reaches into schools through Narconon
An organization with ties to the Church of Scientology is recruiting New England schoolchildren for what critics say is an unproven - and possibly dangerous - anti-drug program.

Other Boston Herald articles on Scientolgy and schools" . Essay by Chris Owen: Narconon - Drug reformers or Scientology front? Scientific And Medical Accuracy Of Narconon Program Questioned - Newkirk Herald Journal 17 August 1989

Looking for specific information?

Try the Site Search

Boston Literacy Scam
hy has the City of Boston relinquish the seperation between "Church" and State and is mayor Tom Menino really that clueless?

Scientology-linked project gets city grant
However, an academic researcher claims that ``study technology'' is a disguised effort to proselytize for the Church of Scientology. ``Scientology jargon and religious beliefs . . . are inseparable from Study Tech,'' write David S. Touretzky and Chris Owen in a paper entitled " The Hidden Meaning of Hubbard's Study Tech .''

Scientology-run schools and tutoring groups
This page will also tell you what the Scientology "education" by L. Ron Hubbard entails and why it is not good for your child.

Scientology versus education
The purpose of this website is to help explain the conflicts inherent within Scientology's efforts to forge relationships with education communities. We also want to equip parents, educators, and media with the tools to not only spot these front groups when they creep into town, but to question politicians, school boards, and pricipals who might knowingly or unknowingly support such intellectual fraud.

Dear Amanda
I give up. Fighting for your freedom has degenerated into fighting with you. I can no longer tolerate that, because I love you and I remember who you really are. I will also no longer subject myself to the verbal abuse, the accusations and the name-calling with which you and your mother have chosen to deal with me. Such tactics are demeaning to us all, and they're inappropriate.

Kinder in der Scientology-Organisation
Explains life of a child in Scientology.
Ie. Antworten auf die häufigsten Schülerfragen and Kinder in Scientology und ihre Zukunft

FLAG ORDER 760, 25th May 1968 by L. Ron Hubbard --
The word "children" is not to be used to describe these as it is a generality. If there are children about they are classified as children but this does not include Cadets. Children are people who have not passed checksheets and have no paid posts in the Sea Org.
-- from a posting of Andreas Heldal-Lund

Hubbard knocked boy off his feet
I saw him physically violent twice. He slapped a boy who answered him back and slapped him across the face with an open hand, and knocked him off his feet.Scientology children dehumanized by L. Ron Hubbard

The four-year-old boy could no longer cry. He had been nearly 48 hours in the chain locker of the flagship _Apollo_ and his entire body was aching from his efforts to chip off rust. His knees and hands were raw with cuts and bruises. His voice was raspy from crying, and he was desperately afraid.

L. Ron Hubbard and education: a case study
Delphi is not and never has been accredited by the State of California. In fact, by making such a claim, the school was violating state law.

Low Priority for Child Welfare
I had been a teacher and word clearer in Scientology schools, including Delphi, for three years. I loved the children and was very dedicated to my profession. It was personal observation that provided me the first clue that Scientology placed a low priority on the welfare of children.

Opinions on Scientology Study Technology
Hubbard's "Study Tech" is the ultimate way of implanting Scn orthodoxy and conformity into people, based upon his notion that ANY difficulty grasping some idea or doctrine stems solely from "misunderstood words", not errors in the ideas or doctrines. Made mandatory in compulsory attendance schools it would stifle free thinking.

Applied Scholastics: A testimony from inside

Child neglect:
Not every kid there was a scientologist; many were not. You could really tell the difference betweent the scientology kids and the others, though. The Scientology kids were hungry, dirty, scabies, "pathetic", inadequate clothing, etc. HRS ((Health and Rehabilitative Services, an agency looking for neglected children)) had checked into some of the children.

Scientology "education" - An account from inside
An account of Scientology "education" by an ex-memberTutoring was a joke. By that I mean it was non-existent at the Cadet Org and the Apollo Training Academy where my oldest child was kept while I was on post.

Then came the death lessons
Miss Hoad told twenty-five of her pupils to "close your eyes. Concentrate. Now imagine you are dying. Imagine you are dead. Now you have turned to dust and ashes. Now imagine you are putting the ashes back inside yourself." These "death lessons," as they came to be called, were given behind locked doors with a "Do Not Disturb" sign outside, and the children were told "never think about these lessons after they are over," which suggested to many that she was warning the children not to tell their parents about it.
(See Professional Auditor's Bulletin #50 for the reference on "End of Cycle Processing")

FLAG ORDER 1630, 3 December 1968 by L. Ron Hubbard
-- If a child or these children are found in Hold l _or_ any hidden compartment of the ship they are to be locked up. -- from a posting of Andreas Heldal-Lund

Applied Scientology In Public Schools?
Indeed, despite Scientology's sophistry about the superiority of its teaching techniques because they focus on how to use a dictionary, Hubbard introduces much of his own unique and oblique language into his work. That is a common method of "loading the language" as described in Dr. Robert Lifton's model of mind control.

The Learning Cure
Johanna Lemlech, a professor of education at USC specializing in curriculum and teaching, calls the books "awful." They "violate everything we know about how children learn, and appropriate pedagogy," she says. "In short, these books should be carefully placed in the cylindrical file."

How the child indoctrination begins
So now you realize why the Church of Scientology wants The Basic Study Manual put in on as many children as possible. It is more a r"primer" on Scientology methodology for absorption of Scientology courses and processes.

The Hidden Message in L. Ron Hubbard's "Study Tech"
The real danger of Study Tech is that it was designed for indoctrination, not education. While it may be good at producing obedient Scientologists, it is completely at odds with promoting the ability to think independently. It quite deliberately aims to reduce a student's ability to think critically. Students are taught to distrust their own intelligence and background knowledge, passively and uncritically accepting whatever they are being told.

Dutch: Scientology infiltreert onderwijs
In de Echo enkele weken terug stond een advertentie waarin werd gevraagd om bijlesdocenten. De advertentie was geplaatst door het 'Maatschap voor Effectief Onderwijs' (waarschijnlijk een voortzetting van de 'Stichting voor Effectief Onderwijs'. Hierin wordt o.a. gerept van een korte interne cursus om de bijlesdocent op te leiden.© Tilman Hausherr , used with permission.

Scientology exploiting children and elderly

Church Seeks Influence in Schools
The program is designed to win recognition for Hubbard as an educator and moralist and, at the same time, introduce him to the nation's youth. The pocket-size booklet, entitled "The Way to Happiness," is a compilation of widely agreed upon values that Hubbard put into writing in 1981. But Scientology publications have called the campaign "the largest dissemination project in Scientology history" and "the bridge between broad society and Scientology." The booklet is distributed by the Concerned Businessmen's Association of America...

What Happened at Delphian Academy
I still have nightmares about Delphian Academy, and look to the day when Scientology is exposed for what it truly is...a money-getting scam and a brainwashing outfit. I know that I am not the only one who has been hurt by them.

Suffer ye the little children
The children at the Los Angeles Scientology complex were so badly handled that they turned into a gang of juvenile delinquents and created such bad PR that SO members with children were banned from the area.

When Can I Start My Life?
LMT Literatie Contest 2000
This essay is written by Zoe Woodcraft using the pen name "Darla"Essay by "Darla deToledo" (16)
I had tried several times before to leave the church but my mother and the officials put so much pressure on me and put my father in so much trouble that I gave up each time.The Woodcraft Family Video interviews Lawrence Woodcraft joined Scientology fresh out of college. He and his wife raised two daughters in the cult. The tell how life in the cult really is. The abuse, neglect, slavery of children and indifference to a death. -->

CCO ED [Child Care Organization Executive Directive]
#36, 14 MARCH 1979 by Susan Calhoun for the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the CHURCHES OF SCIENTOLOGY
There is always a short crew of nannies on the weekend, when most liberties occur, and children who have not been picked up when they expect to be become enturbulated [disturbed] and spread this enturbulance around the environment. This upsets nannies who then have to handle these upset, ARC [Affinity, Reality, Communication] Broken children so they don't create problems with their group.

To prevent these instances from occuring when unneccesary, the following rules for Liberty Day are for immediate implementation.

1) PARENTS ARE TO PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN EVERY LIBERTY DAY, FOR THE ENTIRE DAY.

2) THE CHILDREN SHOULD BE PICKED UP BEFORE NOON AND LOGGED OFF WITH THE RESPONSIBLE NANNY OR NANNY I/C [In Charge].

3) THE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT BACK BEFORE DINNER AND ARE TO BE LOGGED ON WITH THE RESPONSIBLE NANNY OR NANNY I/C.

4) NO CHILD SHOULD BE LEFT WITH ANYONE EXCEPT THE NANNY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT GROUP OR THE NANNY I/C.

5) NO CHILDREN SHOULD BE LEFT AT THE QM DESK OR ON THE STAIRS, IN THE HALLWAY OR ALONE IN THEIR ROOMS TO GO TO SLEEP BY THEMSELVES.

6) THE PARENTS ARE TO PUT THEIR OWN CHILDREN TO BED AND ENSURE THAT THEY ARE ASLEEP BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE AREA. THEY ARE NOT TO BE LEFT FOR THE NANNY OR NIGHT NANNY TO PUT THEM TO BED OR SLEEP. THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS IS THE CADET GROUP (5 YRS. AND UP).

7) CHILDREN ARE TO BE DRESSED PROPERLY FOR BED; NOT IN THEIR DAY CLOTHES. -- from a posting of Andreas Heldal-Lund

Missing Person Casavius Tabayoyon
A year or so after we left we recieved a letter from casavius stating that because we left the church and no longer were part of it he would nolonger communicate with us.

Scientology and child molesters
Excerpt: A Scientologist by the name of Donald Anthony Strawn, also known as Tony Strawn, was convicted in 1995 to thirty years in prison for sexually molesting two girls, ages 11 and 13. The children were in his custodial care at the time. Scientology recommended (under threat of expulsion) that the mother not report the incident to the proper authorities, because the church could "handle his aberrations."

(Scientologists are not allowed per policy of "bringing civil suit against any Scientology organization or Scientologist". These are Suppressive Acts and persons "that would do such a thing act out of self interest only to the detriment of all others, they cannot be granted the rights and beingness ordinarily accorded rational beings and so place themselves beyond any consideration for their feelings or well being.")

cientology and Family
rom the book "THE NOW RELIGION" by George Malko

I met one family where the total, absolute involvement of the children resulted in such a cataclysmic break, such a destruction of all the bonds which had kept six people together and sustained them as a family that, in desperation, the mother had decided to get into Scientology to try and understand what it was that had, in effect, taken her children from her. Within months - she told me all this in a voice which dropped at times to a nervous, confidential whisper, rising at other times to declare, posit, be strong and confident - within months she had become convinced that she had discovered a philosophy which did work, just as her children claimed, and she was certain it would eventually help her as much as it had helped them. She argued sincerely that she had experienced all of the soul-illuminating insights Scientology promises mankind. When I asked her what her husband thought of what she had done, she grew hesitant, almost confused, and finally confessed she couldn't begin to describe the bitterness he felt.

Teen Worker Exploited by cult
Of course, my bosses determined that my mind was cluttered and was forced to attend class. I didn't exactly like their classes. Slowly but surely, my wages were cut from $6.50 to about $2.00 bucks an hour. It was all a scam to try to convert me to Scientology.

The Odhran Fortune Story
The purpose of these pages is to tell the story of Odhran Fortune and his family. This is a very important story as it describes the first occurance (in the UK) of Scientology using their policies of harassment against a family who have someone inside the cult.

Cadet go ed [Guardian Office Executive Directive]
#4, 5 May 1979 by Stephen LeMarr for the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the CHURCHES OF SCIENTOLOGY --
Then in Feb. the hepatitis scene happened and we were swarmed over by County and State Health Inspectors. The County Inspector (an ally) found out about the existence of the Fountain and said this is not OK and let's quickly work together and handle it. He continually predicted an attack from another agency and was not able to say which one. We found the Annex could be used and was legal with a small amount of renos and started to work. Sure enough, we were raided by 2 Special Agents of the State. But because of our taking full responsibility for our scene and well into having the Annex ready for use, there was nothing they could do to us. I will not go into detail of what they could have done but will indicate that we were suited in 1974 for running illegal child care and this would have been our second offence. First time we got probation and you could imagine what the second offense would have gotten us.
-- from a posting of Andreas Heldal-Lund

Letter of Delphi to a Scientologist parent
I have been concentrating largely on the situation existing among Scientologists regarding the education of their children. We have found that education is generally a quite low priority anong Scientologists and that the idea that "study tech equals education" is very common.

Punishment of children
If punishment of a child becomes necessary, don't nag and hit the child and then nag some more. Tell the child the reason for the punishment in simple, direct language, and then apply the punishment in *absolute silence*

A Childhood in Scientology!
Scientology considers and treats children as Thetans in small bodies, therefore there is no place for childhood in the Scientology system. Procedures such as auditing and dubious communication training exercises, such staring at people, is also done by children; in all likelihood it leads to a loss of reality and social problems.

Leaving the Fold
When she was 14, young Astra Woodcraft was recruited to follow her mother's footsteps and join the Sea Organization. From age 14 to 19, she said, she was working from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., laboring for months without a day off, doing administrative work at the church world headquarter building in Hollywood.

I am Astra Woodcraft
Scientology never saved me from a life of promiscuity and petty crime. I would have turned out great without them. All they did was take my childhood.

Four-year-old "bad" boy was taken to an auditor
Father agreed and punished him. Mother agreed and punished him. And the one grandparent who was always around also agreedand punished him.

If you can tell the difference between a lot of little kids you run into, and psychos, I'll give you a medal.-- L. Ron Hubbard in Professional Auditor's Bulletin No. 119


These links were inspired by posting of Tilman Hausherr

Scientology's Rejection of Family
When LRH [L. Ron Hubbard] said in the tape excerpt that "your urges toward family are not thetan urges at all, they're the GE," what he was saying was that anyone who puts any importance on the family is going in a direction toward MEST, not Theta. That is an out-ethics thing to do. It is putting counter-intention on the forward motion of Scientology. It is holding back the entire group.

Scientology "Reverend" Bagley to a father
I am expert at harassment, try me and find out. You are not strong enough. You are not smart enough. You haven't the funds to go through long lengthy court battles. We have. Bigger men than you have done their best to stop us. They failed. So will you because you are a blatant moron in comparison.

Security Check Children
Children's Security Check Ages 6 - 12

What has somebody told you not to tell?
Have you ever decided you did not like some member of your family?Have you ever taken something belonging to somebody else and never given it back?Have you ever pretended to be sick (ill)?

(The "security check" (interrogation) is done while connected to a crude lie detector . Scientology is so nice to confirm the existence of this "Bulletin" on its own web-site.)

Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman split a question of faith
"Mothers who have raised children in the Church of Scientology and come out have a terrible sense of guilt over what our children went through," Summers told the Post. "They had children doing physical work, sometimes 40 to 60 hours a week. It could be anything - shoveling gravel, laying carpet, but mostly it was clerical work," she said.


Scientology's recipe for baby malnutrition
Sub-index of this page
Contrary to Hubbard's claims, breast milk is quite usefull, as was also reported in The Lanclet that breast milk fights infant diarrhea. On top of that, honey is a potentially fatal substitute for infants under 12 months, due to possible presence of Clostridium botulinum bacteria.

Children and teens and Scientology's Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF)
According to Scientology "Any law which applies to the behavior of men and women applies to children" and so it is no surprise that the harsh re-indoctrination RPF program with its forced admissions of alleged past wrong-doings and a maximum of 6 hours of sleep per night, is also applied to children.

HCO [Hubbard Communications Office] BULLETIN OF 20 December 1958, "PROCESSING A NEW MOTHER" by L. Ron Hubbard
- Next, the delivery itself should carry as little anaesthetic as possible, be as calm and no-talk as possible and the baby should not be bathed or chilled but should be wrapped somewhat tightly in a warm blanket, very soft, and then left alone for a day or so.

British child custody and visitation cases
Children also become damaged pawns in family conflicts as the result of Scientology policy which teaches people how to manipulate others. One sees the untoward effects of this policy within the family home when the group works to alienate a child from a spouse who has incurred the 'church's' disapproval and who must be shunned by any means available.

De strijd van een vader tegen Scientology
"Het is onmogelijk om een gezamelijk familieleven te hebben als één van de familieleden in Scientology is gezogen. Dan heb je in je midden altijd een blinde kameraad, die je uit elkaar haalt, kapotmaakt en manipuleert", zegt Ole Andersen.

A mother's betrayal by the new Cult Awareness Network
Last week its name, logo, post office box and telephone number [of CAN] were sold to the highest bidder: a Los Angeles lawyer named Steven Hayes, who is a Scientologist.

Child neglect and abuse
Child neglect and abuse issues: When I was training as AG Detroit at the USGO in 1974, I visited the Sea Org housing where the small children were cared for by nannies. These children lived in filthy, subnormal conditions. Many of them had multiple open sores and skin conditions.

Baby hurt in fall

Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 14 Feb 2000

A BABY was in a critical condition at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick last night after falling two floors from a staircase.

Scientologist babies crawling on urine-soaked carpets
The cult official who inspected these rooms noted: 'Smell of wet beds and bleach . . . smell of wet beds needs to be handled.' -- I had left L.A. with reservations, after such experiences as observing unattended babies crawling on urine-soaked carpets (at a place called the Cadet Org) -- This child, she stated: was very, very ill and she was laying in a urine soaked crib and she was -- she just had her diaper on.... She had lots of like little fruit flies and gnats on her body

ED NW _26_ PAC, 29 JUNE 1979 by Susan Jones for the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the CHURCHES OF SCIENTOLOGY
- Currently the execs of the CCO [Child Care Organization] are working to set it up to take care of our children but the current set up is inadequate for our existing Sea Org children and far behind the growth of the baby population in PAC [Pacific Area Command]. It is important that CCO be given the chance to become set up to ensure our children are cared for optimumly and trained for their future.
-- from a posting of Andreas Heldal-Lund

Scientology disconnect policy destroying families
This is one of the worst policies of scientology. To "disconnect" means cutting off all communication. Between parents and children, or husband and wife. Regardless what bond one had previously. Scientology does this under a pretext of helping them. In fact it is more a means to keep members ignorant of outside interference/information, which could result in revenue loss for the organization when members would leave because of gaining new perspectives with information previously withheld to them.

11 year old girl tells her story
We would have separate sleeping quarters from our parents. We would only see our parents at family hour. Family hour is an hour set aside for the parents to be with their children. Luckily, we got out of Scientology just in time. The day we put the for sale sign up in our front yard was the day we got out of it.

13 year old girl is recruited
Children were not allowed to live with their parents. Scientology permitted one visit every other week, and only for 45 minutes during mealtime. My parents were placed at American Saint Hill Organization and left Scientology in September 1973, when I was aboard the ship, the Apollo.

I am aware that many similar operations were conducted against Tonja Burden while I was working for the G.O. [Guardian Office] I am aware that a G.O. agent, Bill Broderick was placed in a position to spy on Tonja Burden and that the G.O. acquired an apartment in Tonja Burden's apartment building to spy on her and harass her.

Tanya Neujahr in a tv-documentary about children in Scientology.
View the original Danish broadcast or an altered version from Dutch tv in English.

17 year old Sea Org Girl Escapes
What awaited Tanya was eight to ten hours work per day, followed by five hours study of the Hubbardist writings. She seldom got to bed before midnight.

"Scientology is a system of organized child exploitation"
The true face of the SO teachings is shown, according to Beckstein, in the story of Tanya, the young ex-member. She had to perform forced labor with the Scientology elite unit, the Sea Org, along with other young people and also children. With total disregard for their human rights, children and youth were systematically ill-used, and their work was exploited by the system.

Theodora Apostolopoulou told to "handle"
Dora has a PTS situation with her parents. This is now classified as a Type C situation due to the fact the parents are connected to SP (Alev) and have attacked the C of S in the media. This situation needs to be immediately addressed.

Hubbard's personal slaves
SP Times of 24.06.1990"Commodore's messengers:
" The youngsters, whose parents belonged to Hubbard's Church of Scientology, would lay out his clothes, run his shower and help him dress. He taught them how to sprinkle powder in his socks and gently slip them on so as not to pull the hairs on his legs. They made sure the temperature in his room never varied from 72 degrees. They boiled water at night to keep the humidity just right. They would hand him a cigarette and follow in his footsteps with an ashtray.

Children Baited by Scientology
Zuricher Tages-Anzeiger of 9.5.1998 (auf Deutsch)The event is taking place in the "Ziel" School, a sub-organization of Scientology. "A sick joke," she comments upon her discovery, "now the Scientologists are after our children."

Where are the 1.5 million South African children?
One and a half million South African children have been taught to read using Scientology's Study Technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the cult claims. However, South Africa seems to be unaware of this: I am afraid their claim of teaching 1.5 million children in South Africa to read is just another fabrication. -- South African Embassy, Canberra.

Austrian teachers must reject Hubbard
Families Minister Martin Bartenstein (OeVP) wants to prevent the enlistment of members of the Scientology sect in sensitive areas of the civil service.

Lara Wessel is saved
I've just spent several days in New Orleans with a wonderful family, the Wessels. Their 27-year-old daughter Lara was recruited into scientology about a year ago, and her family watched with alarm as their loving, vivacious daughter's life was gradually enveloped by scientology. She had been an aspiring, very talented actress, but once she got into scientology she dropped her acting career entirely.

Tutor Trap: How Scientology recruits the next generation
We document the introductory speech in Cologne with a hidden camera. The director of the German "Applied Scholastics" center tells us, "Basically we are this office in Germany and we establish various study groups all around the country to become better known. And the bad thing at the moment is that we really are not able to become known, because the press immediately arrives and talks Scientology and brainwashing. And people close up. They don't want to hear anything about it or have anything to do with it. It's rather criminal, what's happening out there."

AO [Aides Order] 203-71 - 28 Aug 1981 by Larry Price SO EVALUATOR Approved by WATCHDOG COMMITTEE for the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY of CALIFORNIA
Quite a number of children are behind their grade level on studies in the public school system (which is absurd since we have study tech and wogs don't). . .
A plan is to rapidly be worked out by Estates NW Ops IMO [Int Management Org] on getting the PAC children back in public school since we clearly do not have the resources at this time to run a proper school ourselves (though this is something that should be phased into in the future per Child Care Strat Planning). This plan will need to include getting in the Founder advices on tutoring of the children after school to pick up MUs [Missunderstood words]and get them up to grade, etc.

Operator of the Scientology Cadet School vs.Times Publishing Company
On September 20, 1991, seven deputies of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Youth Services Education Division were invited to the Scientology Cadet School to give a puppet show. Upon arrival they noted conditions indicating that the elementary school children were being neglected or abused.

Coerced abortion and childabuse in Scientology
In one of his tapes, he [L.Ron Hubbard] mentions just letting a baby or kid “cry it out” when upset. Unfortunately, I saw a lot of this crying it out when the kids were dropped off at the facility or when they just needed someone to give them a hug. There was no sympathy given, as LRH described sympathy as “low toned. There just were never enough grown-ups to go around to give these kids love, affection and the true nurturing that a child deserves and has a right to have.

Verbissener Kampf um 16 Scientologen-Kinder
Die Schulbehörde liegt im Clinch mit Hamburger Eltern von 16 Kindern, die im süddänischen Bjerndrup in einem Internat der Scientology-Sekte leben. "Nach dem Schulgesetz müssen die Kinder ihre Schulpflicht hier erfüllen", betont Willi Rickert, Rechtsexperte der Behörde.

Sieg gegen die Sekte
Hamburger Morgenpost vom 13.12.96Eins zu Null im Kampf der Hamburger Schulbehörde gegen das Scientology-Internat im süddänischen Bjerndrup. Dort leben 16 Kinder aus Hamburg im Alter zwischen neun und 15 Jahren. Und daß, obwohl sie ihre Schulpflicht nach Auffassung der Behörde an der Elbe erfüllen müßten.

Blüm prangert Scientology an
Neue Nahrung bekam die Veranstaltung durch die Schließung einer Kinderkrippe, die Scientology ohne Genehmigung in der Brennerstraße unterhalten hat. In der Krippe sollen, so die Hamburger Sektenbeauftragte Ursula Caberta in einem Interview, verheerende hygienische Verhältnisse geherrscht haben - von verdreckten Kinderbettchen bis zu Katzendreck auf dem Teppich.

Already too many bodies on this planet
Posting to ARS of 25 Apr 1999While there, my son almost lost his sight when a "nanny" left a pail of cleaning solution unsecure and it dumped over on his face.

The Tom Leykis Show
Realadio part 6 features a grandmother's anguished call about the treatment of children in the Sea Org.
a) So heißt es in der " FLAG-Abteilungsdirektive" vom 13 . März 1991 bei der Beschreibung der "Unterabteilung 1 - Abteilung für Weiterleitung und Personal": "Es wurde eine Org gefunden, die eine große Anzahl an Mitarbeitern hatte, aber zur selben Zeit ständig unterhalb des alles entscheidenden Punktes kämpfte, . . . Die Org hat nicht Leute von den richtliniengemäßen Fundgruben eingestellt. Als ein Ergebnis davon war die Org mit Jugendlichen, die die Schule schwänzten, Kunden der nächstgele genen Armenküchen, Landstreichern und anderen widerwärtigen Burschen bemannt. . . . "

Ruling of the Federal Labour Court,
March 22th, 1995: BAG 5 AZB 21/94

Protest against Scientology Schools in Denmark
Newspaper clippings about the Scientology-based schools in Nordschleswig and the closure of the Copenhagen Lillekilden Scientology-linked pre-school.

Sweden: No Scn school in Gothenburg
Last Thursday, the National School Board turned their application down, due to board members being heavily in debt, and the uncertainties regarding financing of the school.

Definitiv der falsche Ort für Kinder
Bundesgericht hält Schliessung des Scientologen-Hortes in Urdorfer Industriegebiet für Rechtens. Es ist nicht erlaubt, in einem Industriegebiet einen Hort zu führen, wenn er nicht einem Betrieb zugeordnet werden kann. Dies ist der Hauptgrund, dass die Sekte Scientology in Urdorf einen Kinderhort dichtmachen musste - zu Recht, wie das Bundesgericht findet.

Scientology reaching into Israeli school system
Two months ago, parents of third graders at a Tel Aviv public school contacted Lev L'Achim when they discovered that a workbook written by the founder of scientology was being used in an after-school enrichment program. Parents who confronted local education officials were told not to worry. The book may have been written by a scientology adherent, the officials said, but the subject matter is "unrelated." After failing to persuade the school to drop the text, Lev L'Achim hired lawyer Tomer Moskowitz to file suit in the Israeli Supreme Court, contending the workbook violates Israeli laws against forced conversion of children.

Visit the IRS' chosen people site for a mindboggling explanation why scientologists are allowed a religious exemption that Jewish parents aren't.

La scientologie cible les écoles françaises
Selon le ministère, de nombreux responsables d'établissements scolaires, ainsi que des cadres situés à tous les niveaux de la hiérarchie, ont reçu la semaine dernière une brochure proposant 'une méthode pédagogique universelle' contre l'illettrisme. Plus de 200.000 envois auraient ainsi été effectués.

Scientology wants (Canadian) city's kids
Patrick Kakembo, an assistant director of African-Canadian studies with the Nova Scotia department of education says it was only later that he discovered Eduction Alive's connection to Scientology. "They were not straightforward about this from the beginning."

Cupertino School District
Ten percent of the gross that the local ASI program office brings in for courses costing as much as $350 goes to the Church of Scientology for "consultancy fees" because L. Ron Hubbard - found of the church - developed the study methods used in Applied Scholastics Inc (ASI), Patella said. In the NBC report, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John Clark said the Scientology methods of learning "train the child to be either a willing subject of tyranny or to be a tyrant himself."

PAC BO 317, 4 July 1979 by Stephen LeMarr for the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the CHURCHES OF SCIENTOLOGY - A child may request a hearing on his absent parent who never visits him or her. -- from a posting of Andreas Heldal-Lund

Flag Orders from Pacific Area Command

These are important to have a non-sugercoated view on how things really are for the children in Scientology. Read and shiver.

Ex-scientologists speak

Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Inc.For Parents, Family and Friends: How to Get or Keep Loved Ones Out of CultsCults on Campus: Why are these groups so harmful? How to identify, deal with, and help friends involved with such groups.

Cults' Impact on Children , Youth and Families
Child Abuse in Cults, Child Development and Education in Cults, Cults & Family Discord and Domestic Violence.

Los Angeles Times Thursday, September 18, 1997
Hubbard Adherent's School Bid on Hold

Litigating Child Custody with Religious Cults, Scientology Infiltrates the LA school system, The Best Interest of the Child and the Constitutional Rights of Cult Member Parents and Too Good to be True: Resisting Cults.

American Family Foundation, Inc.
AFF resources about psychological manipulation, cult groups, sects, and new religious movements. Special topic; Children: CustodyCultism and the Law: Litigating the Cult-Related Child Custody Case, Litigating the Cult-Related Child Custody Case and the essay Child Custody and Cults

In Memoriam - The Children of Jonestown 20 years ago, November the 18th 1978, more than 900 people died of whom 276 were children and teens. The orld was forewarned but did very little. They started with killing the babies, and while children were crying, cult-leader Jim Jones told them, "Look children, it's just something to put you to rest. Oh, God."After this disaster the worldwould never againbe the same for those who had lost so much.The San Francisco Examiner Launches Days of Darkness : November 1978;
A Three Part Series.-->

Children & Cults
Chapter 17 of the book Recovery From Cults
- Children and Cults
This chapter will try to make the best of this unfortunate situation. We will first examine the psychological dynamics that make cultic groups especially prone toward child abuse and neglect. We will then describe the types of harm that have been observed in cultic and related groups. Lastly,we will offer some thoughts on treatment issues pertaining to children coming out of cultic groups.

Why should we provide information about cults?
The Cult Awareness and Information Centre Australia
A goldfish living in a bowl that is painted black on the outside will never know it lives in a bowl unless someone takes it out and shows it the rest of the world. Mindsets can be like that - locked into a `thinking box', unable to see outside because the web of beliefs is so all-encompassing.

Family in Scientology?
What YOU can do to Help a Family Member or Friend in Scientology
List is based on Combatting Cult Mind Control, by Steven Hassan, compiled and adapted for Scientology by "Wendy"

Resources and Support
Steven Hassan: This site is filled with the culmination of over twenty-five years of research and counseling experience. Unlike other "experts", I was actually a member of a destructive cult for over two years. I have spent more than twenty years helping families and friends liberate their loved ones.

Child deaths within Christian Science
We would like to share with you the stories of some of the children who have died because of religion-based medical neglect. Bear in mind that many others have been disabled or psychologically harmed as a result of this sort of neglect. These particular stories are well-documented and representative of the problem.

Child abuse at the Jehovah's Witnesses
After many years of service, I discovered a problem that would not go away and due to my personal efforts from within I had to make a decision as to whether I could allow it to be hidden by a Watchtower agenda. This problem can be identified as the protection of pedophiles within the Watchtower organization.

Child abuse at the Hare Krishna's (ISKCON)
More than a dozen Hare Krishna temples plan to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month in an unusual attempt to protect their assets from a $400 million lawsuit that accuses the group of abusing hundreds of children in the 1970s and '80s, according to a spokesman.

Finally a word to the visitors from the USA. Can anyone tell me when the USA will ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child? Some 191 countries have ratified the convention. The only government which has failed to do so is the USA.

Please mail your comments to Mike Gormez .

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