About the project
Between March 2022 and August 2023, Save the Children has been carrying out the project called “Inter-agency cooperation and advocacy for the protection of children victims of sexual abuse and violence”, in partnership with the General Child Welfare and Protection Directorate of district 6, with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the 2014 – 2021 EEA Grants.
The goal of this project is to comprehensively implement the Barnahus model for inter-agency cooperation and multi-disciplinary approach in Romania, to ensure the protection of the rights of children victims of sexual abuse and violence, thus addressing the issue of reliving the trauma and revictimization caused by the lack of an inter-agency and multidisciplinary approach. The Barnahus model is a model that integrates psychological and medical assessment, hearing and protection services dedicated to children, victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.
On the one hand, the project is aimed at raising awareness among 7,000 persons in Romania on the rights of the children, and, on the other, at implementing the Icelandic response model, called Barnahus, gathering all relevant services in this area under one roof. This model shall be implemented through a pilot center set to be launched in Bucharest and assist at least 100 children within 14 months.
We will organize three roundtable events attended by the local authorities involved throughout the judicial proceedings which a focus on cases of sexual abuse against minors (judges, prosecutors, police officers, attorneys, psychologists, and social workers) to ensure the good practice sharing in Bucharest, Iasi, and Timisoara.
We will organize 25 training sessions dedicated to pupils from schools in Bucharest, Iasi, and Timisoara, to enhance their knowledge on human rights, equal treatment and tackling all forms of abuse.
We will put into service and equip the pilot Barnahus center, and, through it, we will provide multidisciplinary services to children. Save the Children and the General Child Welfare and Protection Directorate of district 6 shall be in charge of delivering the activities. With this project, 10 employees will be trained to implement the Barnahus method by international and national experts, thus strengthening the Save the Children’s organizational capacity to further duplicate this method in Romania.