In the period of 23 - 25 February 2021 three online trainings for doctors on child sexual abuse identification and reporting are organised by the National Centre for Child Abuse Prevention, within the grant agreement with the Council of Europe project Combating violence against children in the Republic of Moldova. Around 400 family physicians, paediatricians and gynaecologists from all regions of the country attend the online trainings.

The aim of trainings is to raise awareness of medical workers on the psychological and physical signs of child sexual abuse, as well as the ways of identification and reporting of such cases.

In her welcoming remarks at the first training, Giulia Re, the Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau mentioned that “If sexually abused, children may have severe and long-term psychologic and behaviour consequences. Discovery of the abuse is the most important part of the path to the victim's recovery. Doctors, in particular, family physicians and paediatricians have an ethical and legal obligation to report suspected child sexual abuse cases”.

Daniela Simboteanu, President of the National Centre for Child Abuse Prevention underlined that “Combating the phenomenon of child sexual abuse must be a joint effort of professionals working with and for children”.

This activity results from the obligation imposed by Article 5 of the Lanzarote Convention on Member States to train professionals working with children and is part of the Project’s intermediate outcome 1 “Increased awareness on child sexual exploitation/abuse and the rights of the child in the digital environment”.