Child-witness WHO DEMANDS SPECIAL CARE

In the period November -February, the actvities about the project “Child-witness with special needs” continued. An adaptations of the poster “Your Honour, I’m scared” and the booklet “ I am going to court” were made and their printing is expected untill the end of March. The poster and the booklet are to be distributed to the courts and the police stations, becouse there are to be use by the profecional workers who work with children as witnesses.

In the realization of the project, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the Assosiation of Judges gave their support. For more information visit the web site: www.canee.net

·        Conference in Riga

In the period between 8-10 of November, in Riga a Conference on the issue of “Children as participants in the legal procedures in East Europe” was held. In the Conference there were participatns from 8 countries among which, represents from Macedonia: Voskre Naumoska, Program Assistant in The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi, Slave Nikolovki- Coordinator of the Free Legal Service in The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi, Vasilka Bozinovska- Juvenile Judge in Primary Court Skopje 1 and Zlata Jancoska – Social worker in the Social Services Centre.

The goal of this Conference was presenting the techniques and methods for rising awareness for the need of special protection of the children who are participants in the legal procedures, promotion of the child-friendly interview, as well as other new approaches in the work with children witnesses.

·        Conference in Lisbon

On the 11th Regional European Conference of the ISPCAN (International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect), which was held from 18th to 21st of November in Lisbon, participant was Voskre Naumoska – Program Assistant in The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi.

The main issue of this conference was “Preventing child abuse and neglect - the role of the community, the families and the professionals”, and participating in this conference was part of the activities in the frame of the project “Child as a witness with special needs”. 

·        International supervision

On Janury 15th in the premises of the Economic Chamber a one day workshop was organized in the issue of “Interviewing children withnesses” with Maria Keller Hamela, child’s psyhologist, international expert for interviewing children witnesses.

The goal of this workshop was exchange of experiences and gaining new knowledge and approaches in interviewing children as witnesses. Participats in this workshop were investigating judges who are interviewing children witnesses, and police inspectors too who work in the same field.

In addition to this there is a statement from the professional consultant of the First Children’s Embassy about this project, which is part of the article published in Utrinski Vesnik:

“Vasilka Bozinovska, a judge in the Primary Court Skopje 1 with long term practice in working with children victims, witnesses or offenders, says that not every judge can work with minors. You need to be extremely careful with them, for there you would not disturb the psychophysical development and the personality of the child. The Ministry of Justice needs to consider employing sociologists, psychologists, and other profiles with different specialties when working with children.  There for I assume that the preparations for implementation of The Law for Juvenile Justice are late”, underlines Bozinovska.