As part of A9 – Organizing a training session on how to implement the Barnahus method for the staff (organizational development activity) between 16 and 17 May 2022, the Save the Children Organization conducted a training session as part of the Institutional cooperation and advocacy for the protection of children, victims of sexual abuse and violence project, during which Emma Harewood, the coordinator of the Barnahus centre in London trained the staff of the centre on friendly interview techniques to avoid retraumatizing the child who was sexually abused, on improving aspects related to multidisciplinary and inter-agency collaboration in the Barnahus model, to the benefit of and for the best interest of the child, on raising awareness on the importance of multidisciplinary intervention, in such cases, on how to organize interviews based on good practices and protocols (N.I.C.H.D. protocol).

The following persons attended the Barnahus centre staff training session as speakers:

Prosecutor Bogdan Alexandru Georgescu, representing the National Institute of Magistracy, who spoke about how they handle cases of sexual abuse against children.

Prosecutor Alexandru Adrian Anghel, specialized in criminology, and representing the Prosecutor’s Office attached to Bucharest Court, who spoke about hearing minors during a criminal trial.

Commissary Bogdan Trandafir, representing Bucharest General Police Directorate, who talked about the first contact with minors, victims of sexual abuse.

Mrs Roxana Paraschiv, Coordinator of the Child’s Rights Information, Documentation and Research Centre, who talked about referring and reporting cases of abuse against children, and challenges met on the field.

Mrs Andreea Biji, clinician psychologist within Barnahus Centre, who spoke about the working methodology of the Barnahus Centre of Save the Children Romania.

The training session developed the necessary skills to implement the Barnahus method and promote its benefits and the importance to replicate it at national level before decision-makers.