On July 7-8, Tashkent hosted a practical seminar-training for judges on working with children who are victims of sexual violence and human trafficking. The event was organized in cooperation with the Children's Ombudsman, the Supreme Court, and the offices of the OSCE and UNICEF in Uzbekistan.

The training focused on ensuring child-friendly justice, applying international standards, and protecting child victims from re-traumatization. Key topics included sexual violence against children, its consequences, specifics of communicating with children, and developing special skills for judges.

International experts – Austrian lawyer and former chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Renate Winter, and Georgian expert Maya Chuchua – shared their experience, including the Barnahus model.

Children's Ombudsman Surayyo Rakhmonova emphasized the importance of systematic training for judges. She noted that the Barnahus model is being introduced within the Strategy for Protecting Children from All Forms of Violence for 2026-2030, with a pilot project starting in Samarkand.

Rakhmonova pointed out that several problems persist in the investigation and court proceedings of violence against children, such as repeated interrogations, confrontations with the perpetrator, and the lack of mandatory participation of teachers and psychologists.

First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court Alisher Usmanov stated that in some cases, parents or legal representatives act against the child's interests, including attempts to force the child to change their testimony.

On July 9-10, a similar training was held for prosecutors. Foreign experts analyzed the methodology of interviewing children during investigations, assessing their emotional state, and preventing re-traumatization.

Source: www.gazeta.uz