Astakhov in North Ossetia

Pavel Astakhov, the presidental children's rights ombudsman of the
Russian Federation, has paid a visit to North Ossetia. He visited the
school in Beslan and met the authorities of the republic. North
Ossetian president Taymuraz Mamsurov boasted of the high birth rate.
Astakhov emotionally reacted to these words and said that fertility
was not the only thing and that social support for mothers was much
more important than numbers. The ombudsman also expressed concern
about the encreasing number of disabled children in the republic. He
said that the reasons for this would have to be investigated.

Construction of schools, kindergartens and housing was discussed as
well as the adoption of children, an issue often related to the
corruption in the republic. Parents who want to adopt a child are
often scared by the amount of money asked by some officials. Astakhov
pointed out that the number of children killed in the family and of
teenagers committing suicide was increasing.



Tamara Bunturi, Vladikavkaz, exclusively for VK