On January 15th and 16th 2016 seven organisations from six EU countries (Cyprus, Bulgaria, Italy, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom) have come together in Cyprus for the first partnership meeting of JudEx+: Towards a child-friendly justice in cases of sexual violence against children (JUST/2014/RCHI/AG/PROF/7036). The humanitarian and independent institution “Hope For Children” UNCRC Policy Center, is the leading partner of this project funded by the Rights, Equality & Citizenship programme of the European Union, implemented in cooperation with Know & Can (BG); Frederick University (CY); CESIE (IT); Folkuniversitetet (SE); University of Primorska (SI), and Rinova (UK).
The project aims at improving the child’s experience when entering the judicial system in cases of sexual violence against children, through the development and implementation of a Multidisciplinary Curriculum and Methodology to enhance the capacity of professionals working with children at different stages of the legal procedures. The training programme will focus on children’s rights, voices, developmental needs, and social background.
Children and justice: professionals' perspectives and experiences
“Each year thousands of children take part in criminal and civil judicial proceedings, affected by parental divorce or as victims or witnesses to crime. Such proceedings can be stressful for anyone. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) investigated whether children’s rights are respected in these proceedings.” The results are presented in the report Child-friendly justice – Perspectives and experiences of professionals on children’s participation in civil and criminal judicial proceedings in 10 EU Member States.
Download the report here: http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra-2015-child-friendly-justice-professionals_en.pdf
Inviting stakeholders to participate
Partner organisations are inviting professionals with relevant work experience to participate in discussion sessions focusing on country-specific practices in cases of sexual violence against children, and to share their knowledge on the concept and implementation of a child-friendly judicial system, as well as on existing/needed training programmes for practitioners involved in the legal procedures. By accepting to collaborate, individuals will be contributing, in the long-run, to the establishment of child-friendly methodologies and judicial practices in cases of sexual violence against children.
If you work, or have worked, with children involved in legal procedures in cases of sexual violence against children, or if your work is in any other way related and you’d like to contribute with your knowledge and expertise to the improvement of the child experience, please contact your country’s JudEx+ desk:
Cyprus, “Hope For Children” UNCRC Policy Center
Contact person: Aliki Varella
Email:
Tel 22103234 (central offices)
Bulgaria, Association Know & Can
Contact person: Rumyana Shalamanova
Email:
Tel: +359 878 503 025
Italy, CESIE
Contact person: Noemi De Luca
Email:
Tel: 0039 091 6164224
Slovenia, University of Primorska
Contact person:Tjasa zakeli
Email:
Sweden, Folkuniversitetet
Contact person: Yevgeniya Averhed
Email:
Tel: +4618680036
United Kingdom, RINOVA
Contact person: Amanda Francis
Email: