Two Spaces Intended for Interaction with Minors in Judicial Contexts Were Inaugurated in Craiova
Publicat in data : 2023-05-17

As part of the project „Step by step, growing with dignity!”, the Development and Psychotherapy through Action Association set up a space intended for the hearing of children and interacting with them in the premises of Police Station no. 1 in Craiova and remodeled the „Parent-child” room in the Craiova Juvenile and Youth Detention Center. These were properly arranged to favor dialogue with minors who come into contact with the authorities during judicial investigations, but also to have appropriate meetings during visits with their children.

In order to become functional and useful from the point of view of the purpose for which it was created, as well as the carrying out in optimal conditions of the procedural activities in which minor victims of crimes are involved, the space within the Police Station no. 1 was equipped and set up with furniture, toys, audio-video transcription and recording technology, one-way window with the aim of providing the interviewed minors with a warm, friendly environment and a safe atmosphere, avoiding their contact and exposure with the aggressor and other parties involved in the investigation.

The space benefited from a one-way window through which the evolution of hearings can be watched from outside the room, discreetly, without emotionally overburdening the minor under investigation. In this way, the interaction with the investigated minors will be carried out in a framework of calmness, empathy and confidentiality, so that their victimization and traumatization will decrease considerably.

The redevelopment of the „Parent and child” room in the Craiova Juvenile and Youth Detention Center aims to transform the existing space into a welcoming, warm, friendly space, where minors admitted to the Center have the right to receive visits from their own children and to interact with them under normal conditions, essential for creating and maintaining a healthy emotional bond between parent and child.

The room was set up and equipped with furniture and toys to allow the creation of a safe space for children from families with parents deprived of their freedom, so that the child`s visit to the incarcerated parent does not become more traumatic. On the other hand, space allows the parent to connect with their own child, through age-specific activities (drawings, puzzles and other games).

Through this project, the Development and Psychotherapy by Action Association remains statutorily committed to its long-term vision of getting involved in projects through which it manages to change the lives of some people for the better, especially those from underprivileged categories, bringing value to their lives, alongside partners and collaborators within the project.

The project receives a grant of € 1,926,662 from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norwegian Grants 2014-2021, under the “Local Development, Poverty Reduction and Increasing Roma Inclusion” Program. The aim of the project is to promote respect for children`s rights at the national level.

For more details on the EEA and Norwegian Grants, as well as on the Program Operator, visit www.eeagrants.ro and www.frds.ro.

Material produced with the financial support of the EEA and Norwegian Grants 2014-2921. Its content (text, photos, video) does not reflect the official opinion of the Program Operator, the National Contact Point or the Office of the Financial Mechanism. The information and opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of the author.

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