PM Promises Harsh Punishment for those Involved in Minor’s Suicide

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has assured a “very tough punishment” for those, “no matter their status or rank”, whose fault will be disclosed by the State Inspector’s Office, in leading the 15-year-old Luka Siradze to suicide on December 11. 

Gakharia has conveyed “deep sorrow” over the death of Siradze, who died in Iashvili Hospital in Tbilisi early yesterday, due to severe injuries he received after leaping from the ninth floor of an apartment building. 

“There must be no question marks around the issue or the transparency of the investigation,” Gakharia said. 

Gakharia specified that the management has taken “important steps” in regard to the juvenile justice system, for major developments in education and healthcare fields.

“However, we still face accumulated problems and challenges. We all, the whole public, are responsible before Luka and his family to reduce the systemic problems accumulated for years to a minimum,” Gakharia said.

The PM has ordered the Interior Ministry to take all actions to ensure the investigative environment will be fitted to minors. Also, to ensure the presence of investigators and managers who are qualified to work with minors and to provide the criteria for selecting the personnel and carry out their continued retraining and monitoring. Health and Education ministries were instructed to present a plan on the eradication of systemic problems regarding minors. Furthermore, the Justice Ministry was ordered to present a bill on additional securities for minors who will have to maintain contact with state institutions.

Gakharia said that the Georgian government will take full responsibility to carry out the reforms in a timely manner, transparently and with the backing of international associates. 

He stated that using this tragedy for political purposes is “absolutely unacceptable.” 

By B.Alexishvili