A group of 50 prosecutors and 9 investigators received their certificates for completing a 4-day specialisation training on sexual violence crimes. The three trainings completed were a joint effort by the Council of Europe, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the UN Women Georgia.

“Translating the provisions of the Istanbul Convention into national contexts and putting them into practice will significantly help us to provide fast, efficient and victim-oriented administration of justice”, stated Tamar Zurabishvili, Samtkhe-Javakheti district prosecutor.

The participants learnt about key concepts of sexual violence, international and European legal framework, national standards and practices as well as on psychological aspects. The trainings were based on the findings of the study “the “Administration of Justice on Sexual Violence Crimes against Women in Georgia” and the sexual violence manual for investigators, prosecutors and judges, developed in cooperation with national authorities UN Women and Equality Now (NGO).

The Prosecutor General, Irakli Shotadze highlighted at the certificate ceremony: “Our goal is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of prosecutorial oversight in criminal cases of these categories. Specialisation is an important step towards this goal.”

Training participants gave positive feedback on the training: “I am sure, that the knowledge and skills gained during the training will enable us, through our role, to promote effective administration of justice for sexual violence crimes”, said Ani Khubejashvili, Vake-Saburtalo district prosecutor.

The trainings were organised in the framework of the Council of Europe project “Promoting an Integrated Approach to End Violence against Women and Enhancing Gender Equality in Georgia”.