CHILD-FRIENDLY JUSTICE: Final Report and Recommendations on Child Victims in the EU

Full Report  l  Executive Summary  l  Recommendations

Children in the Union – Rights and Empowerment (CURE) has released its long-awaited recommendations on improving the situation of child victims in the European Union.

The situation of child victims is largely dealt with in the context of crime reduction and juvenile justice both in policy design and in practice. However, the situation of child victims should also be recognised as a separate issue that deserves special attention.

The CURE project concludes that criminal justice policies do not provide sufficient holistic support for child victims as called for in the UN Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime. Improving the circumstances of child victims in the justice system requires binding legislation and mechanisms which cater to the specific needs of children.

CURE invites the European Commission and Member States to draw on the recommendations to:

• develop national strategies to protect child victims in the criminal justice system;
• develop child-friendly information for children who are victims of crime;
• share research and best practices on the situation of child victims in the European Union;
• further the development of European guidelines on interviewing child victims;
• include issues related to the situation of child victims in the criminal justice process in training for criminal justice professionals at the level of the European Union.

The CURE project was set up by the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority in Sweden in 2009-2010.

Further Information:

• CURE homepage
• UN Guidelines on Justice in matters involving child victims and witnesses of crime
• UNODC-UNICEF Model Law on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime
  
• EU Framework decision on the standing of crime victims
  
• Council of Europe Guidelines on Child-Friendly Justice