Mitte Mai 2025 wurde medial von „Zaunparties“ und Raufhandel in der Justizanstalt Münnichplatz Wien-Simmering berichtet. Um die kolportierten Vorfälle zu verifizieren, hat Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz ein amtswegiges Prüfverfahren eingeleitet, der Abschlussbericht liegt nun vor. „Unser Bericht bestätigt einmal mehr, dass man die Justizanstalt Gerasdorf nicht hätte schließen dürfen, bevor der Münnichplatz fertig ist. Dass es zu derartigen Vorfällen kommt, war absehbar. Mit zu wenig Personal, laufender Baustelle und verfrühter Inbetriebnahme musste es so weit kommen“, so das Fazit von Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz.

Um künftig zu verhindern, dass Zivilisten über den Anstaltszaun klettern, wird ein Zaun versetzt und zusätzliche Bepflanzung angelegt. „Diese Maßnahmen wären vor Inbetriebnahme notwendig gewesen. Dass jetzt nachgerüstet werden muss, unterstreicht meine Kritik, dass die Realisierung des Projekts Münnichplatz seit Beginn ein logistischer Bauchfleck ist. Zuerst die Baustelle abschließen, alle Mängel beseitigen, für genügend Personal sorgen und dann erst in Betrieb nehmen, wäre im Sinne der Jugendlichen und des Teams besser gewesen“, resümiert die Volksanwältin die zentralen Ergebnisse des Prüfberichts.

Gründe für die Raufhandel liegen laut Volksanwaltschaft am Verlauf der suboptimalen Inbetriebnahme: Im Jänner wurden elf Insassen auf den Münnichplatz überstellt. Im März waren es bereits 21. Mit zunehmendem Belag, laufender Baustelle, zu wenig Personal und der daraus resultierenden Ausdehnung der Einschlusszeiten ist es zu Unruhe unter den Insassen gekommen. „Wenn Jugendliche ab 16.30 Uhr im Haftraum eingesperrt sind, braucht sich niemand wundern, wenn sie auf dumme Ideen kommen“, attestiert Gaby Schwarz und betont: „Ich weise laufend darauf hin, dass Personalmangel im Bereich der Fachdienste sowie der Justizwache ein großer Risikofaktor ist.“

„Mit der neuen Anstaltsleiterin und ihren Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern ist ein engagiertes Team jeden Tag bemüht, die Jugendlichen während des Baustellenbetriebs bestmöglich zu betreuen. Ob es gelingt, bis Herbst die Baustelle abzuschließen und in den Vollbetrieb mit Schule zu gehen, wage ich zu bezweifeln. Laut unserer Informationen sind zahlreiche Stellen noch unbesetzt - sowohl bei der Justizwache als auch beim Fachpersonal“, so Volksanwältin Gaby Schwarz, mit einem abschließenden Ausblick: „Wenn schlussendlich alles wie geplant realisiert wird, kann die Justizanstalt Münnichplatz zu einem Vorzeigeprojekt werden. Allerdings werden die Kapazitäten mit den Jugendlichen der Josefstadt voraussichtlich ausgeschöpft sein. Der Münnichplatz wird also nicht wie geplant die gesamte Ostregion entlasten können.“

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva today submitted to the National Assembly the name of Maria Filipova as a candidate for the position of Deputy Ombudsman. Filipova was ranked first with 15 points by a five-member evaluation committee, which heard the three candidates proposed by non-governmental organisations on 14 August this year.

18 August 2025

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva today submitted to the National Assembly the name of Maria Filipova as a candidate for the position of Deputy Ombudsman. Filipova was ranked first with 15 points by a five-member evaluation committee, which heard the three candidates proposed by non-governmental organisations on 14 August this year.

The esteemed panel of legal experts, consisting of Professor Tsvetan Sivkov, Professor Gabriela Belova, Associate Professor Ralitsa Ilkova, Associate Professor Aneta Antonova and Associate Professor Hristo Ormandzhiev, ranked the candidates according to a pre-announced methodology, awarding first place with 15 points to Maria Filipova, nominated by the Bulgarian National Association of Active Consumers. Second place with 13 points went to Marina Kisyova de Geus, nominated by Ekaterina Karavelova Foundation, and third place with 12 points went to Denitsa Dimitrova, nominated by the National Network for Children.

The hearing of the candidates was conducted in accordance with the procedure, in a public and transparent manner, and was broadcast in real time on the Ombudsman website and on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/9oI5AE7bGrA?si=143c6yvUGHtnHqvt

The nominees presented concepts for their work as deputy ombudsman, after which they answered questions from the panel members and non-governmental organisations—the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives Foundation, the Bulgarian Fund for Women Foundation, and the Bulgarian Centre for Not-for-Profit Law Foundation.

The letter to the National Assembly and the minutes of the hearing are available here: https://www.ombudsman.bg/bg/n/ombudsmanat-velislava-delcheva-predlaga-na-2325

Procedural rules are available here: https://www.ombudsman.bg/bg/p/protsedura-za-nominirane-na-zamestnik-ombud-608

Nearly 100 children and young people with Education Health and Care (EHC) plans in the North East have not had their support updated properly by Stockton on Tees Borough Council, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.

The issue came to light during an Ombudsman’s investigation, after a mother complained her teenager had missed out on a significant amount of support, and had been out of school for a long period, because their EHC plan had not been maintained properly.

The mother was concerned the council had not correctly followed the annual EHC plan review process, which meant information about the support the teenager needed was out of date. She said the council had sent her letters for two years stating it had carried out an annual review of the plan, when in fact it had not done so.

On one occasion, the date the council untruthfully claimed the review had taken place was a Saturday. The letter also referenced consulting with the teenager’s school before deciding it did not need to change the EHC plan when they were not in school at the time.

During the Ombudsman’s investigation into the mother’s complaint, the council admitted nearly 100 other children and young people had also received a letter which incorrectly stated annual reviews had taken place.

Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“Annual reviews are designed to ensure EHC plans still meet the child or young person’s needs, and measure how they are achieving against their targets.

“Without carrying out an annual review, councils have no way of knowing whether they are fulfilling their requirements.

“I am alarmed that the council would send such mendacious letters to nearly 100 families of vulnerable children saying review meetings have taken place when the council was aware they haven’t.

“The council told me it issued the letters to comply with its statutory duties – but its duty is to carry out the yearly reviews, not to untruthfully say it has done so.

“We recognise councils are under increasing pressure to complete the various stages of the EHC process in the timescales required by law given the significant increase in children and young people with EHC plans. Nevertheless, we must hold councils to account. We welcome the council’s openness to telling us about the letters it sent to other families.

“I hope both Stockton on Tees and other councils can learn lessons from this case and the changes the council has agreed to make will ensure it has a firmer grip on the EHC plan review process in future.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the mum and young person in the initial complaint, and pay them £5,900 to recognise the impact of the missed education and the frustration caused by the decision letters that stated the annual reviews had taken place.

The council will also write to the 99 families it had identified as also receiving incorrect letters to invite them to contact the council and consider whether an interim review of the EHC plan is necessary.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council will develop an action plan to ensure every child and young person has an annual review every year.

It will also review its procedures for delivering Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS) provision in EHC Plans, to ensure it properly assesses what provision is required and develops processes to check the provision is in place and it acts on any concerns.

News reports around the planned meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska this week have so far been dominated by discourse about security and territory. While the international community’s continuing commitment to ending the war in Ukraine is encouraging, it is crucial that human rights are integrated into peace negotiations.

A comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine can only be achieved if it is anchored in the international human rights framework. As the only universally agreed roadmap for honouring human dignity, human rights provide the reliable framework for settling disputes and form a solid foundation for just and sustainable peace-making. The best long-term defence against Russian aggression is to stand by our principles and defend the human rights and values that are under attack.

Ukraine, as the sovereign state that is the target of Russia’s illegal aggression, must always be present at the negotiating table as pointed out by Alain Berset, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Those responsible for gross human rights violations and international crimes must be held accountable. Victims should receive reparations. All prisoners of war and all civilian detainees, including children, must be released. The human rights of people living in territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia, to the extent that these areas may continue to be under occupation, must be respected. My recent Memorandum on human rights elements for peace in Ukraine offers insights into how to address these and other issues. Any peace agreement will be fragile unless human rights concerns are explicitly acknowledged and respected.