Around 1 in 5 children have been victims of sexual abuse in Europe according to the Council of Europe. Effective access to justice which is adapted to the needs of child victims and/or witnesses of violence requires a fundamental shift from traditional, fragmented judicial processes towards a comprehensive, coordinated, child-centred, rights-respecting, and integrated response. The Barnahus (Children’s House) model has been a key pillar in this transition, ensuring that forensic interviews, medical examinations, child protection services, and therapeutic support occur under “one roof” in a single, safe, and child-friendly environment. By putting the best interests of the child at the centre of the process, Barnahus demonstrates that pursuit of fair and equitable justice, rule of law and accountability can—and must—advance hand in hand with effective child protection.   

To provide a closer insight into this model and facilitate exchange of views on the Barnahus model, a roundtable discussion titled "Barnahus Model: Integrating Justice, Care, and Child Rights" was convened in Baku, Azerbaijan on 3 April 2026. The session brought together 35 national stakeholders, including policy makers, representatives of executive bodies, law enforcement, legal and frontline professionals, support services, and civil society organisations working with and for children to discuss the institutionalization of multidisciplinary and interagency services.

The discussions centred on the need to develop a multi-disciplinary, interagency system which upholds children’s rights when responding to violence against children, in particular sexual abuse and exploitation. The roundtable featured contributions from a local expert who addressed the national framework, outlining the current legislative framework and latest initiatives to align domestic child protection mechanisms with international standards. Furthermore, four international experts from Ireland, Moldova, Slovenia and Spain presented the importance of the Barnahus model and gave an overview of the implementation process of the model in their respective countries. They highlighted the importance of unified interagency procedures and illustrated how the Barnahus model could be adapted to different national contexts in order to build a child-centred and rights-respecting system.

This activity was organised in the framework of the project on “Protection of children from violence and sexual exploitation and abuse, including in the digital environment, in Azerbaijan” under the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Azerbaijan (2022-2026).