While the Moldovan justice has become more child-friendly, there are still children in conflict with the law who need support and further efforts must be made to prevent children from going to prison, stated Nune Mangasaryan, UNICEF Representative in Moldova, at a conference held to present the Penal Reform Institute's monitoring report on trials involving children.
“It is necessary to develop services alternative to detention and to train specialists in the penitentiary system. It is also important to develop cooperation between the judicial system and the social one and create community-based services to support families and children at risk and prevent conflicts with the law among children”, said Nune Mangasaryan.
The Institute's director Victor Zaharia said that the way trials are organized in Moldova doesn't offer adequate protection to children against intimidation from other parties in the process, in situations, for example, when children have to wait for the trial in the same room with adult participants.
The report has found that deficiencies include the lack of special spaces for minor witnesses, negligent attitudes that originate in an insufficient understanding of child rights provisions, or premeditated violation of legal standards such as failure to advise children of their rights. The report has also found that frequent postponements of court sittings is a widespread problem, and this discourages victims and witnesses from pursuing their rights in court.
Attending the event, Deputy Justice Minister Sabina Cerbu said greater inter-sectoral cooperation is needed to make progress in the juvenile justice reform.
The Penal Reform Institute published the monitoring report on trials involving children within the framework of the project “Better protection for children in Moldova's judicial system. Diversion and Alternatives to Detention”, implemented in partnership with UNICEF Moldova, and of the project “Effective models of community involvement for preventing juvenile delinquency in Moldova”, implemented in partnership with the Finnish Embassy in Romania.
