On 8 April 2021, the Council of Europe Project "Combating violence against children in Ukraine" together with the Interagency Coordination Council on Juvenile Justice presented the Legal Analysis on Operation of Barnahus in Ukraine. The purpose of the analysis is to provide a review and analysis of Ukrainian legal frameworks, which are relevant and impact the establishment and operation of a Barnahus model in the country. A thorough review of the laws and regulations vis-a-vis the international standards, including Council of Europe standards and the Barnahus Quality Standards, has been carried out to reveal the current state-of-play, map the existing gaps and provide specific recommendations for the Ukrainian context.

The Council of Europe has developed a number of legal standards in the field of child-friendly justice. The most comprehensive document in this field is the Guidelines on Child-friendly Justice adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2010. Barnahus quality standards are the standards recommended by these Guidelines. In addition, the Barnahus model is recognized by the Lanzarote Committee as an example of good practice for a child-friendly multi-disciplinary response to violence. The implementation of these guidelines and other aspects of child-friendly justice is a key priority of the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child for the period of 2016-2021.

In 2018, the Council of Europe presented a study on Barnahus quality standards in Ukraine, which examined the problems and opportunities for implementing the Barnahus model in Ukraine. Currently, the Council of Europe has engaged a team of national and international experts to assess the progress made since the study was completed, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the legislative framework, procedures and regulations governing the creation and operation of the Barnahus model in Ukraine, and to identify the gaps and develop the recommendations for their elimination. To ensure a high-quality and comprehensive analysis of national legislation and the practice of its implementation in this area, the Project organised meetings with a broad range of professionals including representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Policy, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Police of Ukraine, the Coordination Center for Free Legal Aid, forensic experts, representatives of the judicial and legal communities.  Recommendations to address gaps and legal obstacles were developed based on the findings with the purpose of establishing an enabling legal environment for Barnahus in Ukraine.

77 participants joined the online event on the occasion of the presentation of the Legal Analysis on Operation of Barnahus in Ukraine. Olena Lytvynenko, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, opened the meeting and welcomed the participants. Oleksandr Banchuk, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Head of the Interagency Coordination Council on Juvenile Justice, Kateryna Pavlychenko, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Gunduz Mammadov, Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine, thanked the Council of Europe for its continuous efforts to uphold children’s rights in the country.

The Council of Europe Project "Combating violence against children in Ukraine" continues its activities on the implementation of the Barnahus model in Ukraine. Based on the results of the Analysis of Barnahus Operation in Ukraine, the Project plans to conduct training workshop for professionals working for and with children.

The recording of the meeting is available at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/XbmkesLt-JJsLlnjlIUMqK06zMS4avasTiQKT_4EV9rzVQXjGen38uNJKtOEAnFX.5xomDZN4U0HBtsKl ; Passcode: VjUZW2?0