The Ombudsman of Georgia reported that, according to 2025 data, there are 379,957 children registered in the unified database of socially vulnerable families, of whom 23,322 are newly registered.
– this is stated in the report of the Public Defender.
Levan Ioseliani noted that significant challenges also persist regarding children’s rights, education, women’s safety, equality, and the fight against discrimination.
“Despite the increase in the number of children and families included in social protection programs, the existing mechanisms are largely reactive and cannot ensure the long-term strengthening of families and support for their independent functioning,” the report says.
Problematic trends also persist regarding the continuity of general education. In 2025, the student status of 7,248 students was suspended, and for 1,366 students, it was terminated.
“In the field of general education, the infrastructural conditions of some schools and the practice of multi-shift schooling remain problematic, which negatively affects children’s involvement in extracurricular and informal activities,” the document notes.
The Public Defender of Georgia is particularly concerned about cases of violence against women and its most severe form — femicide.
“Unfortunately, in 2025, 12 cases of murder of women and 21 cases of attempted murder of women were identified, a significant portion of which were committed by family members. The Prosecutor’s Office identified femicide in 5 cases and attempted femicide in 8 cases.
Despite some positive changes, cases are still recorded where the state had information about potential violence but failed to prevent the murder or attempted murder of a woman. Case analysis revealed deficiencies in the investigation process, risk assessment, the use of protection mechanisms, and decisions on parole,” Ioseliani noted.
The Ombudsman stated that femicide is linked to discriminatory and stereotypical attitudes toward women, as well as social and economic inequality.
The prevention of femicide requires not only a criminal justice response but also the strengthening of preventive mechanisms, education, and social support systems.
Ioseliani stated that in 2025, the timely detection of hate-motivated crimes, effective investigation, and ensuring a victim-centered approach remained serious challenges.
“Despite the measures and retraining carried out by law enforcement agencies, in practice, difficulties still arise in the timely identification of the crime’s motive and proper legal assessment,” the report of the Public Defender of Georgia reads.
