Koulla Yiasouma was the

Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) is a publicly funded post, with responsibility for protecting children's rights as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Nigel Williams was the Commissioner fro ...

. She took up the post in January or March 2015, and ended her term on March 1, 2023.

Private life

Koulla is of Greek Cypriot origin, and is married. She has a couple of daughters.

Education

In 2015 Yiasouma called for an

integrated education Integrated education in Northern Ireland refers to the bringing together of children, parents and teachers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions in childhood education: the aim being to provide a balanced education, while allowing the ...

system in Northern Ireland.

Report on 'reasonable chastisement' defence

Research carried out by Yiasouma, involving a survey by Kantar Millward Brown showed that 67% of adults in Northern Ireland were unaware of law permitting parents to physically discipline their children but that 63% of those asked supported changing the law. She said "Removing the defence of reasonable chastisement would allow Northern Ireland to join with 52 countries around the world which have moved to protect children from violence. Evidence suggests that protecting children has not led to increased prosecutions as feared by some. Rather, equal protection for children in the law should result in clearer guidance and better support for parents and families."

Comments on 2021 riots

Yiasouma spoke to

Broadcasting House Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London. The first radio broadcast from the building was made on 15 March 1932, and the building was officially opened two months later, on 15 May. The main ...

about the

2021 Northern Ireland riots A series of riots in Ulster loyalism, loyalist areas of Northern Ireland began in Waterside, Derry, Waterside, Derry, on 30 March 2021. After four nights of rioting in Derry, disturbances spread to south Belfast on 2 April, where ...

saying that the behaviour of some adults in contributing to the actions of young people during the riots involved "coercion by adults of vulnerable and at-risk children". When asked if it amounted to child abuse she said "'Child abuse' is a very loaded term but I think it is within that safeguarding family of abuses children may suffer and experience. When it comes to safeguarding issues I would put it in that group, yes.". She also said "Enough is enough when the first petrol bomb or stone is thrown," and "It's criminal actors trying to take control and what we need is a calm narrative from our politicians. We need them to be seen, to be supporting our community workers on the ground."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yiasouma, Koilla Irish people of Greek Cypriot descent 21st-century women politicians from Northern Ireland Children's Ombudsmen Ombudsmen in Northern Ireland Year of birth missing (living people) Living people