On April 27, 2021, ASTRA conducted the second of the two thematic mutual learning events with key judicial and child protection stakeholders on “Particularly Vulnerable Children in Contact with the Law – Provision of Psychological and Legal Assistance”.
Initially, the round table was supposed to gather 20 participants but, the trend of great interest in participating at the event continued and ASTRA received almost over 160 applications. In order to allow the maximum number of participants, and yet to maintain a form of the event which would foster discussion, the audience was expanded to 90 participants, representing the widest possible range of relevant institutions and organizations.
Among 90 participants, majority came from the social protection system, including social workers, psychologists, legal professionals, special pedagogues and defectologists who work with children and youth. The participants from the justice sector included judges from several high courts and prosecutors from the basic and high public prosecutor’s offices. In addition, participants came from the Bar Association, high courts` victim support services, academia and civil society organizations working mainly on child protection issues, women’s rights, and anti-trafficking.
The discussion panel addressed the identification of main vulnerability factors, needs assessment as well as provision of adequate forms of assistance to three particularly vulnerable groups of children who come in contact with the law: child victims of sexual violence and/or human trafficking and children from refugee, asylum seeking or migrant population, in particular unaccompanied children and children separated from parents. The panelists were eminent experts from the various fields (medicine, psychology, law and psychotherapy) who work directly with children and provide them assistance at their organizations – Incest Trauma Center, Institute for Psychodrama and Psychological Innovation Network.
This mutual learning event was organized within the project “Children’s Rights in Serbia – Improving the Position of Children in the Judicial System of the Republic of Serbia (CRIS)”, which is jointly conducted by ASTRA, International Rescue Committee (IRC) and The Child Rights Centre (CPD). The project is supported through EU’s program “The Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC). This project’s primary goal is to improve outcomes for children in contact with the law (CiCL) in the Republic of Serbia through systemic application of the rights of the child and evidence-based supports in legal proceedings.