Child Abuse at Work Center; Director and Guard Arrested

Following the release of a video showing the beating of a child at a work center for child laborers in Mahdasht, Karaj, and its circulation on social media, Iran's Welfare Organization announced the temporary closure of the center and the arrest of two of its officials. Recently, a video was shared on social media showing a large individual, believed to be one of the officials at the center, severely beating a child. Journalist Shahin Samadpour first published this video on his Instagram page on September 19. The following day, on Thursday, September 20, the Welfare Organization issued a statement saying: "The issue of child abuse at a care center was investigated, and upon confirming the violations, the center was closed by order of the prosecutor's office, and its director and guard were temporarily arrested." The Welfare Organization confirmed the 'violations' at the center for disabled individuals in Karaj and revoked its license. After confirming the violations at the center, eight children who were being held there were transferred to a center for organizing street and working children, and one government educator was dispatched to care for them. In this statement, the name of the care center was abbreviated as 'D. Sh.' and the child who was beaten was identified as 'Ma'roof,' a resident foreign national in Iran. A significant number of street and working children in Iran are Afghan and Pakistani children; however, the nationality of the child victim of violence was not specified in the Welfare Organization's statement. Nonetheless, this news comes amid increasing sensitivities regarding the presence of Afghan nationals in Iran and the emphasis by officials on the necessity of organizing and expelling them from the country. The Welfare Organization stated that after the video was released, the Welfare Organization of Alborz province held an emergency meeting, and after interviewing a dispatched team with the children and educators present at the center and reviewing the cameras, the violations were confirmed. The report from this organization indicated that after the surveillance cameras were reviewed by the security unit and discussions with the center's staff, it was determined that a child named 'Ma'roof' (a resident foreign national) attempted to escape on September 11 at 10 AM while the center's staff were busy harvesting vegetables in the yard, due to the small yard door being left open, and took a serrated knife. According to this report, after the child was returned to the center, the security unit attempted to retrieve the knife, but due to the 'escape of the client, the child was beaten.' This is not the first time that abuse, child abuse, and abuse of disabled individuals in institutions under the supervision of the Welfare Organization in Iran have made headlines. On March 10, 2023, after reports of 'assault, rape, and beating' of disabled individuals at the 'Mehr-Afarin' care center in Karaj were published, the Alborz Welfare Administration confirmed the violations and announced the 'revocation' and 'permanent closure' of this center. Behrouz Marouti, an activist in the field of disabilities and director of the 'Disability Campaign,' in a video published on March 5, reported cases of 'assault, rape, beating, and charging unusual fees of 20 to 50 million' at the Mehr-Afarin center for men with mental illnesses in Karaj. According to Mr. Marouti, these violations were identified and exposed by the families of individuals with disabilities, and as a result, the Welfare Organization and the prosecutor's office intervened. The 'Disability Campaign' also published images last August of the violent treatment of mentally disabled individuals by nurses at the 'Water Lilies' rehabilitation and care center in Bushehr, stating that in addition to 'horrific mistreatment and abuse,' the residents of this center were suffering from 'malnutrition and poor sanitary conditions.'