British writer Joanne Rowling again intervene in the CR

The first time, four years ago, she fought for ban of cage beds in asylums in person. This time, she sent a deputy of her organization Children’s High Level Group, a Czech psychiatrist Jan Pfeiffer, to help with reform of compensatory child welfare.

His task was to establish cooperation with government officials, reduce numbers of institutions and replace them with other kinds of care of kids in need and their families. The number of kids placed in such institutions is very high in the CR (about 20t kids) and instead of falling, the number is rising every year.

But no meeting with a minister has taken place so far. Pfeiffer have stated: “Discussions take place on low level. I have been trying to make a meeting with the minister of social matters Petr Necas for a month now.”

Rowlings first intervention came through quite successfully – cage beds were forbidden in 2007. However a team of BBC reporters have found 5 from 8 institutions still use them, regardless. Pfeiffer doesn’t give up yet; “It is all about finding a good strategy.”