Impact
UNICEF managed to contribute to the achievement of significant progress in this area, identifying and experiencing innovative ways of supporting public health issues:
At national level
- Worked to increase the quality of data collection and analysis. The country analytical report prepared by the National Institute for Statistics is a useful instrument for the analysis of trends and effects on the situation of children in the justice system.
- Assisted in strengthening the capacity of decision-makers for child rights based policy development. The situation analysis produced with UNICEF support promoted debate on alternatives to the deprivation of liberty, and there is wider acceptance among judges, prosecutors and policy makers in the area of justice to attempt to divert juvenile cases from the lengthy arrest-conviction system.
- Helped to develop the capacities of the social protection system to adequately respond to children in conflict with the law and below the age of criminal responsibility. Romanian legislation provides for the possibility of setting up, through private bodies or local governments, some specialised services for children committing penal deeds but who have no penal liability, such as centres for assistance and support for psychological reform of children with psycho-social problems, direction, supervision and support services for delinquent children, and reformatories for delinquent children.
- Contributed to increased quality of care and protection for children in conflict with the law and below the age of criminal responsibility. Minimum quality standards for specialised residential services and for day centres were adopted in 2004. These are designed to promote the social reintegration of children and assist them to assume a constructive role in society. They both recognise principles similar to those set forth in relevant international instruments, including the best interest principle, the right of children to participation, the prohibition of discrimination, and family and community involvement in the positive behaviour of the process of child development.
At local level
- Promoted an increase in the number of alternative community-based services, piloted mainly by non-governmental organisations in several locations throughout the country (Iasi, Vaslui, Botosani, Bucharest). Such alternative services once replicated nationally could contribute to reducing the rate of detention and imprisonment of juvenile suspects and offenders.
- Assisted in promoting a decrease in the number of children in conflict with the law deprived of liberty. In areas where alternative services were piloted, the rate dropped even further.
- Strengthened the capacity and experience of multi-disciplinary teams to effectively respond to issues concerning children in conflict with the law. Published 6,000 copies of a guide on institutional practices developed in juvenile cases, w
hich is also required reading in law schools and the master’s programme offered by the National Institute of Magistrates (INM). In-service training of judges and prosecutors for child rights and juvenile justice has become institutionalised, through the National Institute of Magistracy (NIM), under the aegis of the Superior Council of Magistracy. Training began in 2003, for 73 judges, doubling in 2004.
At children’s level
- Assisted in promoting a drop in the number of children in conflict with the law and a decrease in arrests and convictions. The number of offences committed by or with the participation of children decreased by some 27% in 2000–2005. The specific rate of children arrested (as a ratio to the number of the population aged 14–17, per 100,000 persons) decreased to 105 in 2004 and 2005 from 148 in 2003.
