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The Romanian Ministry of Justice announced on Friday having concluded with the Prosecutor's Office of the Supreme Court of Justice (PICCJ) a funding agreement for a project called "Protection of victims of crime."
Funding for the project is secured by the "Justice" programme, part of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021 and managed by the Ministry of Justice as a programme operator, on a budget of 2,000,000 euros, of which 85% is made up of Norwegian financial grants, and 15% is national co-financing, with an implementation period of 27 months.
The project will be implemented by PICCJ as a project leader in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, through the Crime Prevention Directorate, the Bucharest Social Assistance and Child Protection General Directorates, districts 4-6, and the European Union's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA).
The Ministry of Justice says that the aim of the project is to strengthen the rule of law by ensuring efficient, accessible and high-quality criminal justice for juvenile offenders and victims of hate crimes, with special emphasis on the Romany population, Agerpres.ro informs.
"Under the project, 35 spaces will be arranged for the hearing of minor victims - 30 at prosecutor's offices, and the others at the five Social Assistance and Child Protection General Directorates of Bucharest. The spaces - vital for observing children's rights and for obtaining complete and useful testimonies, while reducing as much as possible the minors' traumatisation and revictimisation - are a necessity in Romania. In those areas, children will be protected and will have the necessary psychological support, customised for age, personal development and capabilities, in an environment that inspires security and confidence. The spaces will be equipped with audio-video equipment for recording the hearings, in order to avoid as much as possible repeated interrogation at various procedural stages."
