Minister of Justice Veronica Mihailov-Moraru considers it necessary to adapt the national legislation to the European directives that provide procedural guarantees for children involved in criminal trials. Furthermore, she said it is essential to build a judicial system capable of responding to the challenges faced by minors. The Ministry of Justice will continue to cooperate with UNICEF to develop strategies to provide children with "an equitable future", Veronica Mihailov-Moraru assured at an event to assess the activities of the 2023-2024 Action Plan signed with UNICEF Moldova.
Veronica Mihailov-Moraru pointed out that in the process of accession to the European Union, a commitment of the Republic of Moldova is to improve the protection of children's rights. The minister highlighted the progress made in this area, including the promotion of alternative measures to detention, protection against online violence, approval of standards for juvenile interrogation spaces, as well as educational programs for children in detention.
UNICEF Moldova Country Representative Maha Damaj noted that the amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure are an essential step in expanding protection for children who became victims of crime. "We are proud of the fact that, annually, over 1,500 children benefit from state-guaranteed legal aid. Also, the integration of mediation services, achieved in 2024, is an important step in promoting restorative justice," stated Maha Damaj. She said that the revision of child-friendly policies, quality of interrogation rooms, harmonization of national legislation with EU directives and improvement of reintegration of children released from detention remain priorities for the future.
The participants reviewed the progress in combating online sexual exploitation and abuse, the benefits of integrated services for child victims, the restorative justice system and the reintegration of children in conflict with the law, as well as actions aimed at preventing crimes against children. At the end of the event, the participants analyzed the opportunities to strengthen cooperation between state institutions and civil society. The focus was on preventing the commission of crimes by minors and improvement of reintegration of children in detention.
