Women’s Parliamentary Network had a meeting with Incest Trauma Centre – Belgrade, to discuss the initiative submitted by the Incest Trauma Centre. This initiative consisted of the proposal to have the National Assembly monitor the implementation of legislative measures for the prevention of re-traumatisation of children survivors of sexual violence.
The representatives of Incest Trauma Centre – Belgrade highlighted that the Criminal Code had numerous flaws because it lacked provisions that would protect the best interests of children who had been exposed to sexual violence. They also underlined the necessity to assure equal the legal protection of children regardless of their age, from zero to 18 years old.
The surveys of the Incest Trauma Centre showed that in 88% of cases, children survivors of sexual violence were questioned in the courtroom, allowing the defendant to directly address the child. In 21% of cases, children were questioned in offices, while in only 4.7% of cases, these interviews took place in adequately equipped premises of which the specific purpose was to make the child feel comfortable and safe.
Dušica Popadić, Director of Incest Trauma Centre, highlighted that the initiative to have the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia monitor the implementation of legislative measures for the prevention of re-traumatisation of children survivors of sexual violence included the adoption of new protective measures, such as removing the perpetrator for the family household and reducing the number of child’s interviews during the criminal proceeding process, because the current practice demanded the child to be questioned five or more times. The initiative also proposed to limit the length of the proceeding to 12 months at the most, because in the Republic of Serbia, on average, it lasted for three years and three months. It also included the prohibition of disclosure of information that can jeopardise the identity of the child survivor and, in particular, the disclosure of this information to the media.
The Coordinator of WPN Dubravka Filipovski proposed, on behalf of the Network, to forward this initiative to the Ministry of Justice as well and to request the creation of a working group that would deal with the protection of children survivors of sexual violence. She also proposed the Incest Trauma Centre to join forces with the Ombudsman and to present the initiative to the Committee for Children’s Rights, the Committee for Health and Family, and the Committee for Judiciary, Public Administration and Local Self-government, in order to strengthen network that would support the initiative.
Meeting between Women’s Parliamentary Network and Incest Trauma Centre
