The child was not allowed to sit on a sunbed on a public beach

Outrage is being investigated by the Ombudsman about the ban on a family with a small child from using umbrellas and sun loungers on the public beach of Crete, which are managed by a hotel company.

In particular, an employee of the enterprise informed the parents that families with minor children are not allowed to use this space and places and infrastructure (sunbeds with an umbrella), so they must leave the territory.

When the child’s parents questioned the legality of such a policy regarding the use of a public beachthe person in charge suggested, as a “sign of good faith”, to allow two adults to use chairs under umbrellas, and leave their child … to sit next to them on the sand.

Considering that these actions offend the dignity of the child and constitute discrimination against him, Citizens appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights.

As stated in the Ombudsman’s statement, the office, after studying the current legal framework and lengthy correspondence with all concerned departments, found that both the competent municipality and the state real estate agency declared their inability to control or impose measures, given that the contract concluded with enterprises , using the beach, does not contain the corresponding obligations for the use of space.

Based on this and in order to prevent such practices in the future, leading to violation of the rights of the child, enshrined in the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (No. 2101/1992), counsel suggested:

a) paragraph prohibiting the exclusion of minors from the aforementioned benefits and services (and related) in contracts concluded with the respective companies,

b) consequences – termination of the contract with the company serving the beach.

Counsel’s proposals were fully accepted by Decrees No. 58782 EX 2023/11.04.2023 (Official Gazette B΄/2531) and 38609 EX 2023/10.03.2023 (Official Gazette B΄/1432) KYA.

In particular, it introduced express prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religious or other beliefs, disability or chronic illness, age, marital or social status, sexual orientation, identity or gender characteristics of citizens who come to the beach to relax (who are granted the right to simple use of the coastal beach, shore, coastal area, sea body, lagoon, lake or river).

It was also provided that in the event of a breach, the contractual relationship terminates automatically with the issuance of an appropriate act signed jointly by the competent service and the relevant municipality.

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