A deeply disturbing case of prolonged child abuse has come to light in the Transcarpathian region. A young girl endured severe mistreatment by adults and was only saved thanks to her own courage in seeking help from the police. Beyond the shock, the case raises a broader question: why was the system unable to intervene earlier?
In nearby Romania and other EU countries, child protection mechanisms are typically activated much sooner through schools, social services, and mandatory reporting. The contrast is striking in border regions, where communities can clearly see the difference between systems that react after tragedy and those designed to prevent it in the first place.
