On 7-9 December 2021, the Council of Europe Project  "Combating violence against children in Ukraine", together with the Office of the Prosecutor General and the Training Center for Prosecutors of Ukraine organised a training session for juvenile prosecutors "Specific aspects of proving crimes related to sexual violence against a child, in particular online, and child sexual abuse materials.” This training was conducted on the basis of a training course aimed at training capacity building of juvenile prosecutors, which was developed within the framework of the Project and was included in the advanced qualification training program for prosecutors.

The aim of the training course was to improve the professional competence of prosecutors regarding the specifics of organising procedural guidance in criminal proceedings related to sexual abuse of children; to increase the level of professional competence of prosecutors to prove crimes committed against children in the Internet; to increase the professional competence of prosecutors to prove crimes related to the creation, access and distribution of child sexual abuse materials.

In particular, during the three-day training, the following aspects were examined:

• Crimes against sexual freedom and sexual integrity of children.
• Qualification rules, differentiation of adjacent crimes, qualifying features.
• Features of implementation of procedural guidance in crimes against sexual freedom and sexual integrity of children. Problematic aspects of proving crimes.
• International experience on criminal liability for sexual relations between children. Sexting. Exemption from criminal liability by age.
• Criminal liability for corruption of minors.
• Sexual exploitation and sexual abuse committed against children through electronic means of communication.
• Sexual crimes committed against children using the Internet.
• Criminal liability for obtaining access to child sexual abuse materials, its acquisition, storage, import, transportation or other movement, production, sale and distribution.
• Crimes related to child sexual abuse materials: judicial practice.
• Features of proof of access to child sexual abuse materials, its sale and distribution.
• International standards, international cooperation, ECHR practice.

The training was attended by 20 juvenile prosecutors from different regions of Ukraine.

We would like to express our gratitude to the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Training Center of Prosecutors of Ukraine, the developers of the course - Council of Europe experts, trainers and facilitators for fruitful cooperation.