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JK Rowling and Children’s High Level Group meet Czech Ambassador to Romania

PRESS STATEMENT – Bucharest, 26th January 2006

Three members of the newly formed Children’s High Level Group – Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne MEP, Professor Kevin Browne, and the children’s writer JK Rowling – today met Radek Pech, the Czech Ambassador to Romania, in the British Council offices in Bucharest.

The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the new Group and repeat the concerns that JK Rowling and Emma Nicholson had raised with the Czech government in June 2004 – that institutionalised children are being unnecessarily restrained in so-called “caged beds”.

JK Rowling said “I am horrified by this situation.  The Czech Republic is not a country where I would expect to find these outdated practices, and I have joined the Children’s High Level Group to tackle these issues.  What disturbs me most is that children in the Czech Republic are being caged purely for others’ convenience.  The Czech Republic, unlike the other countries which have acknowledged and are facing up to this problem, are indifferent to our concerns. You must open the door and let us help you.”

Professor Kevin Browne, a World Health Organisation consultant from the University of Birmingham, called on the Government of the Czech Republic to also address the fact that the Czech Republic has the highest number of young children in institutional care in Europe and Central Asia — 6% of children less than 3 years old.

Ambassador Radek Pech acknowledged the Group’s concerns and promised to inform his government of today’s meeting.  He concluded by inviting JK Rowling and the Children’s High Level Group to visit the Czech Republic in order to progress the situation.

Notes to editors:

1. The Children’s High Level Group was registered as a UK charity on 21st December 2005 in order to share the experiences of Romania’s child welfare reform process with other European countries.  The founding members of the Children’s High Level Group are: Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne MEP, J K Rowling, Professor Kevin Browne and John Muir Potter OBE.
2. The Children’s High Level Group was registered as a Romanian charity on 25th January 2006.
3. JK Rowling is on a fact finding visit to Romania with the Children’s High Level Group, to find out more about the reform of the child welfare system.  J K Rowling visited a maternity hospital and met groups of institutionalised children who have recently won prizes in a national talent competition.  She also met the Romanian President and Prime Minister.
4. The Co-chairmen of the Romanian Children’s High Level Group are: Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne MEP, the Prime Minister of Romania and European Commissioner, Gunther Verheugen.
Media contact details:

Mark Hutchinson, representing JK Rowling,
Colman Getty PR, London
Contact phone: 0044 207 631 2666
Contact email: mark@colmangettypr.co.uk