Roundtable under the project “Implementing the Barnahus model in Croatia”
At the Roundtable held on 8 October 2024, the first results of the project were presented.
“Implementing the Barnahus model in Croatia” is a joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe, the beneficiary of which is the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, and the estimated duration of the project is 30 months (September 2023 - February 2026).
The Roundtable marked a significant step forward as two critical analyses prepared by domestic experts were presented and discussed:
- Legal and political analysis examining the current Croatian legal framework and making concrete recommendations for its alignment with the future establishment of the Barnahus model in Croatia
- Training gap analysis assessing the readiness and ability of professionals working with and for child victims and witnesses of sexual abuse.
In addition to representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation as the project beneficiary, representatives of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REGORM) and representatives of the Council of Europe, the event was attended by more than 95 experts working with and for child victims and witnesses of sexual violence, sharing their insights on the main findings and recommendations of the analyses. The feedback of the participants will be taken into account in the development of a strategic plan for the implementation of the Barnahus model in Croatia and the future interdepartmental agreement that the project will develop as the next step.
The project aims to support Croatia in establishing the first Children's House at the national level, under the Barnahus model, where children victims of criminal offences, primarily criminal offences of sexual abuse and exploitation of children, will be treated in accordance with international guidelines and promising European practices.
Barnahus is the leading European model for the protection of the rights and interests of child victims and child witnesses of violence or abuse, which is entirely child-friendly. It implies a multidisciplinary and inter-agency approach, ensuring cooperation and coordination between different bodies (judicial, social welfare, medical) in a child-friendly institution that offers comprehensive services for the child and the family under one roof. Such a unified approach aims to prevent retraumatisation and revictimisation of the child during the investigation and trial, to ensure a coordinated and effective response to the violence experienced by the child and to provide the child with support and assistance, including medical assessment and treatment, in a child-friendly environment.
In addition, a video showing Barnahus in Iceland and a brochure describing the functioning and standards of the model, both in Croatian translation, were officially presented. These materials were made available to all participants, including representatives of the institutions involved in the future implementation of Barnahus.