Child as a Witness

The leaflet "You are a witness, you have rights" have been recently issued by the Nobody's Children Foundation in the frame of third stage of Polish raising awareness campaign "Child - Witness with Special Needs". It is directed toward children and youth and explains basic rights of children participating in the criminal investigation according to article 185a and b of the Code of Penal Procedure. With the decision of the Ministry of Justice the leaflet will be distributed to all children called to witness, together with the information on the date and place of the interview.
Printing of the leaflet was possible thanks to European Commission funded programme „Prevention of and Fight against Crime".

On 3rd March 2010 the campaign was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Justice, Children's Rights Ombudsman and Nobody's Children Foundation's director.

Activities of this year's campaign will be conducted under the theme "I will be interviewed", putting emphasis on the child's subjectivity and its right to special protection in difficult situations occurring during of legal procedures.

Recently Social Activities and Practices Institute issued Bulgarian translation of UN guidelines on justice in matters involving child victims and witness of crime. The booklet was prepared in the frame of "Coalition for child-friendly interviewing" Project.

 

Social Practices and Activities Institute has carried out the second stage of the Child as a Witness campaign, conducted under the slogan „Your Honour, I have the right not to be scared". First stage of the campaign was conducted in 2007 in all Childhood Without Abuse Project countries.