The achievements of the Barnahus Slovenia project were presented at the closing conference
On 4 May 2022, the final conference of the joint project EU-Council of Europe Reform to Support the Implementation of Barnachus in Slovenia was held in Ljubljana (Phase II). The event offered a platform to review the achievements of the project since its inception in 2018 and since the beginning of its first phase in 2017. Barnahus in Slovenia was officially presented in May 2022.
The project supported the Slovenian government in establishing and operating their first Barnahus for child victims of sexual abuse in accordance with international standards and promising European practices. This was achieved through a series of activities under the three main pillars presented at the conference: legal, political and institutional review; capacity building and training of professionals working with and for children; and raising awareness of child sexual abuse in Slovenia.
In his welcome address, the Minister of Justice of Slovenia, Marjan Dikaučič, said that violence against children was unacceptable and that this project was of key importance for the protection of some of the most vulnerable members of Slovenian society. Ms. Jernej Jug Jerše, Head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia, praised the cooperation between the Slovenian Ministry of Justice, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and Norwegian donations in Barnahus. Regina Jensdottir, Head of the Department for the Rights of the Child at the Council of Europe, emphasized the importance of the transition to the transformation path for the establishment of Barnahus in Slovenia, change of mentality, legislation and policy and harmonization of Slovenian practice. with the standards of the Council of Europe and the United Nations.
The conference also offered a platform for experts to consult with children and the children themselves to present activities carried out to encourage and strengthen children’s participation in Barnahus throughout the project. A visit to the Barnahus premises and a round table with young delegates involved in the project were also organized. The round table allowed the young delegates to share their views on what Barnahus means to them, his challenges and what they hope to see in the future.