From 02 to 04 April in Vidin was conducted a training on the topic “The French tools for assessment of child victims. Experience exchange”, in partnership with the French organisation “La Voix de l’Enfant”. During the training was presented and discussed the French practice of child-friendly interviewing, and the main accent was the interaction between professionals from the systems of Justice, Child protection, the Police, and the Health care system.  The training was conducted were Anne Groleau and Nadya Stoykova from SAPI. Anne Groleau has 13 years experience in the work with children and their families in France, specifically in the preparation of children to testify and support their parents in this process.

The French experience was discussed in the context of the possible ways for a better implementation of the Coordination mechanism for interaction in cases of child victims or at risk of violence and interaction in crisis intervention.

One of the immediate results from the training was the creation of a multidisciplinary team in Vidim, in which the police, the Courtm the Prosecution, the Social services, Hospital “St. Petka”, and professionals from the Complex for Social Services for Children and Families (SAPI) will work together and will implement a new model of interaction at the local level, where a signal for child victim is received.

In the following months will be piloted a new model for individual assessment of the needs of child victims of violence and crime. The purpose of the assessment is to gather information regarding the risk of repeated victimization, intimidation or retaliation by the perpetrator or other people, secondary victimisation, in order to identify the specific measures, necessary to reduce the risks for the child.

You can download the training materials here.