Special interview room for minors and victims of human trafficking inaugurated at DIICOT

Bucharest, 14 June 2023. The first special room for interviewing victims or witnesses of organised crime offences, such as human being trafficking, child pornography, and/or sexual exploitation of minors, has been inaugurated at the headquarters of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) in Bucharest. The space also includes a technical room, separated by a soundproof wall and a one-way window, and was set up by the Association for Victims of Sexual Offences (V.I.S.) with the support of UNICEF in Romania, as part of the project "Justice for child victims of sexual abuse".

Crimes involving sexual violence against children are particularly serious offences with multiple long-term consequences that affect the victims' entire lives. The V.I.S. Association and UNICEF are supporting DIICOT to improve the quality of interaction with the most vulnerable victims of crime, children. This special interview room allows for essential evidentiary procedures such as interviewing by specialised professionals, which results in obtaining a maximum of relevant information for the investigation with a minimum of additional traumatic consequences for the victim.

Mihaela Chiper, president of the Association for Victims of Sexual Offences, says: "We have so far set up eight interview rooms for minors, in collaboration with the prosecutor's offices in Constanța, Vrancea, Vâlcea, Sibiu, Mureș, Argeș, Bacău, Bucharest, and an integrated centre for the investigation of sexual violence in Săftica, Ilfov, with the necessary infrastructure for interviewing, forensic examination, psychological evaluation and therapeutic assistance. With the support of UNICEF in Romania, this first interview room set up in the DIICOT headquarters creates the conditions for a unique interviewing for each of the vulnerable victims of human trafficking. It is essential to support witnesses or victims of sexual violence through access to a friendlier and more efficient justice".

"The increase in cases involving the crime of child pornography and exploitation of minors in the online environment generated by the easy access to technology by both offenders and victims (especially in the case of self-production of pornographic material), but also the emergence of new modes of operation - livestreaming, creation of closed and dedicated groups, through various social media applications (Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp), require an additional effort and special attention to fight this phenomenon. Investigating and closing this kind of cases is a priority, especially as in most cases such crimes are the aim of and are preceded by other serious offences against the sexual freedom of minors (rape, sexual acts with minors, sexual corruption)", says Alina Albu, Chief Prosecutor of the DIICOT.

"Together with our partners, we are working to increase the ability of justice system professionals to work with victims of sexual crime and abuse to better protect them during legal proceedings. We also need state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to reduce the emotional impact on vulnerable people - victims or witnesses. Through this project, UNICEF continues its support to institutional partners working for the protection of children and respect for their rights", said Anna Riatti, UNICEF Representative in Romania.

The partnership between the Association for Victims of Sexual Offences and UNICEF in Romania runs from October 2022 to October 2023 and aims to improve judicial procedures in cases of sexual violence against children, but also to create a network of professionals from the judiciary, forensic medicine and DGASPCs, focused on obtaining solid evidence in cases of sexual violence against children.

Through the project " Justice for child victims of sexual abuse.  Setting national standards in science-based investigation of sexual abuse against children. Training the training program and consolidating the national professional network", a minimum of 150 professionals (prosecutors, psychologists, forensic doctors) from the 21 counties will learn to work together to avoid secondary victimisation of children who have experienced sexual violence. In addition to the hearing room in Bucharest, a second special hearing room will be set up with the support of UNICEF Romania in the DIICOT territorial headquarters in Galati.