Last week, GRC conducted a four-day training in Kyiv for investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and prosecutors of the Juvenile Justice Department of the Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG), and Regional Prosecutors Offices (RPOs) on child-centred and rights-based approaches to investigations and forensic interviewing.
The event aimed to strengthen the participants’ capacity to investigate and conduct interviews in cases involving child victims and witnesses of international crimes. It provided practical, evidence-based tools for conducting forensic interviews with children, in line with leading international standards such as the Méndez Principles and the Revised NICHD Protocol.
Delivered by GRC’s child justice experts together with international specialists Eva Veldhuizen-Ochodničanová, Child Protection Expert, Forensic Pyschologist and Tom Pakkanen, Clinical Forensic Psychologist, PhD, the course combined interactive theory sessions, practical exercises, and realistic role-play scenarios. Participants enhanced their understanding of trauma-informed practices, child memory, and the Best Interests Assessment Procedure, while developing skills to plan and conduct investigations and interviews in line with a child-centred and rights-based approach.
“Ensuring accountability for crimes against and affecting children requires not only legal reforms but also practical skills and sensitivity in every interview and investigation. This training helps Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors embed child-centred, trauma-informed practices into their daily work, a crucial step toward genuine child-friendly justice.” — Mykola Palamar, National Lawyer and Team Deputy at Child Justice Team, Global Rights Compliance
“All children, including those in Ukraine who are victims and witnesses of war crimes, deserve unwavering protection of their rights during criminal investigations. Effective investigations and interviews require not only skill, but also a strong knowledge of children’s rights and psychology. Only by truly understanding the child before them can investigators promote justice and uphold each child’s rights and voice.” — Danielle DerOhannesian, Legal Adviser (CAAC), Global Rights Compliance
This initiative is part of GRC’s broader efforts to support Ukrainian justice actors in ensuring accountability for crimes against and affecting children (CAAC) through trauma-informed and child-friendly justice processes.
The event is part of the activities of the GRC’s Mobile Justice Teams (MJTs), which are part of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA). The ACA is a multilateral initiative established by the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States to support and assist Ukrainian law enforcement authorities in investigating and prosecuting atrocity crimes in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion.