On 21 September 2026, the Council of Europe HELP tutored course “Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse” was launched in online format for 70 employees of the State Service of Ukraine for Children. This course aims to enhance the knowledge of the nature of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, taking into account the specific challenges posed by the war of aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, as well as to develop practical skills of effective response to such violations.

In the context of ratification by Ukraine of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, commonly known as the Lanzarote Convention, this course was developed in 2024 for legal professionals aiming at capacity building among professionals working with children in Ukraine.

By the end of the course the participants will understand better the phenomenon of child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, know how to address it from the perspective of prevention, prosecution of offenders and protection of victims, be familiar with relevant legal and policy instruments, understand why national and international co-operation and collaboration are important to combat this phenomenon, and be aware of the role different professionals can play to implement change.

This comprehensive 10-weeks training course is designed to enhance participants’ awareness and promote a modern understanding and application of violence prevention mechanisms, protection of affected children, and holding perpetrators accountable.

Participants will also become familiar with recent changes in Ukrainian legislation regarding protection of children’s rights, as well as with tools that facilitate effective and comprehensive responses to sexual violence and exploitation of children, while ensuring the implementation of the principles of the best interests of children, children’s participation, equal treatment, and the rule of law.

“The course represents an important step in building capacities of professionals to ensure proper implementation of the Lanzarote Convention. This translates to a better understanding of the principles and processes that need to come into effect whenever Ukrainian children are subject to sexual abuse and the roles that each of the institutions needs to play according to the interdisciplinary principles of the Convention.” – underlined, Ovidiu Majina, Project Manager of the Council of Europe Project “Protecting the Rights of Ukrainian Children and Ensuring Child-Friendly Justice in Ukraine”, in his welcome address to participants.

Throughout the training Ukrainian participants will receive support from three national certified HELP tutors:

• Heorhiy Popov, Doctor of Law, Associate Professor, Professor at the Department of Sectoral Law and General Legal Disciplines, Institute of Law and Social Relations, Open International University of Human Development “Ukraine”
• Tetyana Shevyrina, Judge of the Odesa Court of Appeal, PhD in Law, judge-trainer of the National School of Judges of Ukraine
• Olha Poyedynok, PhD in Law, Associate Professor at the Department of International Law, Educational and Scientific Institute of International Relations, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Within a course launching event, a dedicated session was focused  on strengthening inter-agency cooperation within the child protection system and developing common approaches to working with children affected by sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. The topic was presented by Oleksandr Nizhelskyi, Head of the Division for the Prevention of Child Neglect and Violence against Children at the State Service of Ukraine for Children.

Tetyana Tsyuman, psychologist and Associate Professor at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, presented the specific features of the work of social sector professionals with children experiencing traumatic events. Ms Tsiuman has presented the HELP course “Specificities of trauma informed care for social psychologists working with children”, which is available in self-learning format.

Tetyana Kharkivska, social sector manager and specialist at the Department of Scientific and Methodological Work and Mediation of the NGO “La Strada-Ukraine” has presented the National Hotline for Children and Youth as a practical tool for social professionals in protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

The course is organised jointly by the Council of Europe Projects “HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) for Ukraine, including during wartime – Phase II”, and “Protecting the Rights of Ukrainian Children and Ensuring Child-Friendly Justice in Ukraine”, the State Service of Ukraine for Children, the High School of Public Governance.

The course “Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse” (5 hours) is freely available in self-learning format on the CoE HELP e-learning platform. To access HELP courses the users need to create the account at the HELP Platfrom.  Upon completion of the course the participants will receive an electronic ‘Statement of accomplishment’.