Enhanced protection for child victims and witnesses

The Ministry of Justice and the National Center for Child Abuse Prevention (NCCAP) have signed a cooperation agreement to improve protection in the justice system for the children who are victims or witnesses of diverse forms of violence, Info-Prim Neo reports. The agreement aims to foster the development of the legal framework to ensure adequate legal procedures for the child victims/witnesses. The agreement further confirms the government's willingness to cooperate with the nongovernmental organizations to promote and ensure the best interest of the child in the Moldovan justice system, it is said in a press release from the Ministry of Justice. “What children who come into contact with the judicial system need most is justice. In the judiciary there is such a notion as court of supreme instance. So for us, the supreme instance is the best interest of the child. This agreement will allow us to ensure together this interest”, said NCCAP chairwoman Daniela Simboteanu. “The child victims or child witnesses of violence are a drama for our society, because the psychological traumas generated by abuse in childhood never completely heal. Possessing an entire arsenal of instruments, the government is obliged to intervene whenever children are abused or witness violence. This agreement is a step towards the civilization of our society”, stated Justice Minister Alexandru Tanase. The signing of the agreement is supported by the US Agency for International Development as part of the Educational Advising Center's Project “Strengthening Civil Society in Moldova”.