Human Trafficking in [the Slovak Republic] [other countries]
Street Children in [the Slovak Republic] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [the Slovak Republic] [other countries]
 

Prevalence, Abuse & Exploitation of Street Children

Slovak Republic (Slovakia) [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

Slovakia or the Slovak Republic [map] is located in central Europe and is bordered by the Czech Republic (W), by Austria (SW), by Hungary (S), by Ukraine (E), and by Poland (N). Bratislava is the capital. Slovakia became an independent nation on Jan. 1, 1993, when Czechoslovakia was dissolved. Despite its modern European economy and society, Slovakia has a significant rural element. About 45% of Slovaks live in villages of less than 5,000 people, and 14% in villages of less than 1,000.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in the Slovak Republic. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated or even false.  No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

U.S. Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs

INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Although official statistics are unavailable, it is believed that fewer Roma than Slovak children attend primary school.

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

CHILDREN - The government was committed to children's rights and welfare and the Ministries of Labor and Education oversaw implementation of the government's programs for children. Education was universal and free through the postsecondary level and was compulsory for 10 years, or until the age of 16. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported that the primary school attendance rate was approximately 85 percent.

Most ethnic Slovak and Hungarian children attended school on a regular basis, but Romani children exhibited a lower attendance rate. Although Romani children comprised nearly one‑fourth of the total number of children under 16, they were disproportionately enrolled in schools for the mentally handicapped, despite diagnostic scores that were often within the normal range of intellectual capacity. In certain remedial schools in the eastern part of the country, registered students were nearly 100 percent Roma.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2000

[43] The Committee refers to the dialogue with the State party and notes that the social policies of the State party, in spite of their comprehensiveness, have resulted in the socio-economic exclusion of certain groups of children such as the Roma and children living in the streets and in institutions.

Consular Information Sheet - Slovak Republic

CRIME: The Slovak Republic has a high rate of crime. Most reported thefts occur at crowded tourist sites (such as the Old Town area) or on public buses or trains. Thieves in the Slovak Republic often work in groups or pairs. In most cases, one thief distracts the victim; another performs the robbery, and then hands off the stolen item to a near-by accomplice. Groups of street children are known to divert tourists' attention so that a member of their group can pickpocket the tourists while they are distracted.

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) - Reports by States

SLOVAK REPUBLIC (INITIAL REPORT) - Among the issues the Committee enquired about was the situation of minorities, especially the Roma minority. Although the Committee appreciated numerous programs carried out to improve the situation of Roma minority, to encourage them to participate in education and to integrate them, the Experts were alarmed at discrimination of Roma children in schools and asked for more tolerance and equal treatment to decrease the high rate of illiteracy and dropouts.

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Human Trafficking in [the Slovak Republic] [other countries]
Street Children in [the Slovak Republic] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [the Slovak Republic] [other countries]