The organization “Young Barristers” releases scandalous video about the LEPL Agency For State Care And Assistance For the (Statutory) Victims of Human trafficking Tbilisi Vake-Saburtalo Regional Centre Head Social Worker/Acting Head Nino Iobashvili’s unlawful actions in the process of exercising her own official authority, about the gross misconduct, violation of the law, hidden agreement and attachment with the party, manifestations of bias, disregard for the best interests of the child, violation of the principle of good faith and professional ethics. The organization requires an immediate action in order to raise the issue of putting the official responsibility of the Tbilisi Vake-Saburtalo Regional Centre Head Social Worker/Acting Head Nino Iobashvili and before starting the disciplinary proceedings to suspend her official authority and avoiding her from the case.
“Young Barristers” notes out that the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia’s Internal Audit Department and Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze hae been already informed about the LEPL Agency For State Care And Assistance For the (Statutory) Victims of Human trafficking Tbilisi Vake-Saburtalo Regional Centre Head Social Worker/Acting Head Nino Iobashvili’s systematic violations and malefactions in the process of exercising her own official authority, however, the head of the Ministry’s Internal Audit, Kakhaber Dzimistarashvili is busy with being indifferent and doesn’t react to the facts of misconduction, thus encouraging mentioned Social Worker’s uncontrollability and wilfulness of her (the organization in the upcoming days will address the prosecutor’s office for that). As a result, the Social Service Agency doesn’t respond to the interests of the juvenile justice and the rules of communication with beneficiaries exceed the established standards. There is an isolation presented, between the Social Service Agencies and the society, civil organizations. Unfortunately, the agency has turned to the place of soviet thinking and that directly reflects to the best interests o the child, as well as unreasonably restricts the interests of their parents.
This is confirmed by the silence of Nino Iobashvili’s misconduct, which openly, directly and unequivocall is a side on the case of 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and not a neutral representative of the Social Service Ageny, thus grossly violating the law on Social Work, makes morally and legally untrustworthy of the activities of Georgian Social Service.
“Young Barristers” notes out, that in the released video, Tbilisi Vake-Saburtalo Regional Centre Head Social Worker/Acting head Nino Iobashvili is in conflict with the child’s legal representative, shouts at him and touches him with her hand. In the video we can see that the minor doesn’t want to have a relationship with the mother, reveals her desire to physically be with her and is attached to him, the mother physically touches her father and tries to take the child, which is encouraged by the Tbilisi Vake-Saburtalo Regional Centre Head Social Worker Nino Iobashvili and she doesn’t take any measures to separate the parents. Instead, is in conflict with the minor’s father’s representative, expresses her views whilst talking with the lawyer, which in the assertive form indicates that, the parent violates the rules of relations with the child and in general, the developed situation in the supermarket notes out that the Social worker doesn’t express the protection interests of the minor, but she express the interests, missions and aims of one of the legal representative – mother. Nino Iobashvili calls the child’s fathers attempts to protect the baby from the violence of the mother, “stupid” and refers to the father as “crazy.” In the continuous video we can see that the baby runs towards her father and the mother tries to take the child, and during that, Nino Iobashvili dramatizes the situation, shouting at the last sound, as if it is unacceptable to carry out child’s protection measurements and claims that the father physically attacked the mother, which isn’t confirmed based on the video. Instead, the mother physically violates towards the father, near the soft drink stand, on which Nino Iobashvili has neutral attitude.
“Young Barristers” specially notes out, that the presented evidences and factual information in the case files, make justified assumption, that in the name of the best interests of the child, the mentioned workers of the agency: Nino Iobashvili and Giorgi Kupreishvili, does the full discredit, demoralization of the legal representative of the minor – the father, which is presented by the actions of them – giving the legal advises and showing the support of Olivia Antony, in particular, based on what kind of strategy, actions to conclude in order to “protect” the minor from her father.
Therefore, the law of Georgia is violated as well as all the action standard of the Social Service Agency. There is no reaction from the Audit Agency on the mentioned pretension and malefaction, which should be independent structure, which, on its own, is busy, hiding the facts of misconduct under their own agency. And such kind of unlawful silence on the above mentioned violations of the law encourages lawlessness.
There is no kind of minimal opportunity to protect the right, as the Social Service Agency of Georgia doesn’t listen to the citizen of EU and don’t care about the argumentation, as being open and direct whilst supporting the side of the case - Olivia Antony, thus, making justified assumption about the motives of corruption and on the hidden agreements. The father from the birth of child, takes care of her and the baby is attached to him, and Olivia Antony – the mother, based on the Prague Court’s enforced decision, is addicted to narcotics and doesn’t hae the skills to take care of baby. The silence of Social Service Agency’s employees is crime and is double standard. The facts given to the Social Agency, in particular, the European Court’s decision, hasn’t been considered and moreover, they aren’t interested in studying the case and/or making the special measurements.
Nino Iobashvili, within the framework of the family dispute, did do anything to prevent, when the party justified, that Olivia Antony through legal and illegal ways tried to take the baby from Georgia to the Russian Federation. Nino Iobashvili intentionally chose to remain silence on the threat, and the authenticity of such threat was confirmed by the Tbilisi Court of Appeals, which on June 5, 2020 prohibited Olivia Antony from leaving Georgia until the end of the case.
Nino Iobashvili violates the basic principles of the Law on Social Work (social work is based on the principle of equality). With regard to the father, the principle of proportionally, as from their side the whole series of defamatory documents have been presented, which serve the purpose of immorality of the father and starting the criminal proceedings towards him. (A measure to be implemented by a social worker shall serve to protect the best interest of a beneficiary. The selected measure shall be appropriate, necessary and proportionate.) Nino Iobashvili violates the obligation to maintain good faith and professional ethics, since the reports and letters made by her is consisted of falsified facts(A social worker shall carry out social work in accordance with the purposes of this Law, and values and ethical principles.) Nino Iobashvili, based on the case files, is biased and expresses only the interest of minor’s mother, and in the family dispute is side. (it shall be inadmissible for a social worker to be a party to any transaction or to act according to subjective interests.) she doesn’t have the legal, strategic, administrative, professional or ethical competence required by law. As she refuses to respond to the father’s violated right, and only is interested to take decision in favor of her mother, didn’t interntionally give 74 year old Grandma permission to have relationship with her grandchild, didn’t react on not fulfilling the temporary decision by the mother’s side, doesn’t know English and Czech languages. On question, how she described the child’s position on various issues, whilst the baby speaks on Czech Language and can understand English language, in front of the court she said, that the submitted documents was made based on the child’s gestures. Nino Iobashvili’s correspondence with the child’s father is very shameful, as the opinions which should be on English language are electronically submitted in Russian, with incorrect grammar notes, which in the end creates an example of incompetence of the social worker in the named dispute. (In order to exercise the powers provided for by this Law, a social worker shall have the following competencies). Therefore, the organization calls the Social Workers actions shameful and categorically demands that their activities be checked and raise the issue of official responsibility on her. Nino Iobashvili’s competence creates more serious ground for bias and selfishness, deserves public distrust and requires urgent decisions by the supervisory structures.
“Young Barristers” have repeatedly addressed the Ministry and LEPL Agency For State Care And Assistance For the (Statutory) Victims of Human trafficking in order to study the activities of those, involved in the family dispute, but to no avail. The organization is ready to in any format continue discussion in those facts. The use of selective law doesn’t correspond to the ruling political party’s ongoing process of reforming the children’s rights . therefore, it is necessary to fast identify the problem and solve it – to take proper decisions towards Nino Iobashvili and with her, towards the other persons involved in that dispute. “Young Barristers” wont adapt to the situation, happening in the Social Service Agencies, illegal misconduct and large-scale biases, which undermine the child-centered environment, image of Georgia, makes system a place for hidden agreements and encourages incompetence, which is as disastrous process for social services.
