Bulgaria

"School Free from Violence" is a project implemented in Bulgaria by UNICEF, the State Agency for Child Protection, Sofia Municipality, Ministry of Education and Science, and other institutions. The project aims toward creating a safe and supporting school environment through direct interaction with children, teachers and parents in the school.

As described in a recent article by Agence France Presse, Bulgaria is struggling to modernize its child homes network. Child care system is badly affected by lack of qualified personnel, abuse cases and inadequate adoption regulations. Recent dramatic incidents proved that safety of 8 000 abandoned children in Bulgaria is at risk.

Full version of the article is available here.

One of partner organisations in Childhood without Abuse Project - Social Activities and Practices Institute from Bulgaria - decided to become more involved in tackling the problem of children taking part in legal procedures.To increase cooperation between Bulgarian organisation and the Nobody's Children Foundation from Poland, a new initiative - "Coalition for child-friendly interviewing" project - was taken up.

Goals of the new project are:

On the 25th June 2008, first child-friendly interview room in Bulgaria officially opened its doors. The room, situated in the Complex for Social Services in Pazardzhik, will allow child victims of violence and witnesses of crimes to testify in a friendly atmosphere, without having to be confronted with the defendant, his attorney, the prosecutor and the administrator writing down the testimony.