On 19 May 2026, the Final Conference of the joint European Union – Council of Europe project "Implementing the Barnahus Model in Croatia" took place at the National and University Library in Zagreb, showcasing the results of a three-year initiative aimed at strengthening Croatia’s response to child sexual abuse and violence against children.
A highlight of the conference was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on interagency co-operation by the Croatian Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, Damir Habijan, the Minister of Health, Irena Hrstić, and two State Secretaries from the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth and from the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy together with high-level representatives of the Judicial Academy, the Social Welfare Academy, the Croatian Institute for social workers and the Croatian chamber of Psychology. The Ombudsperson for children who could not attend in person signed the MoU in advance and shared a video message. This agreement underscores Croatia’s strong political commitment to implement Barnahus model.
In his address, the Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation underscored the importance of the initiative: "The strength of our entire society is reflected in how we protect its most vulnerable members. It is our enduring and non-negotiable obligation to establish a system founded on the rule of law."
The programme featured keynote testimonies from two survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation from Sweden, who shared their personal experiences with the Barnahus system and discussed its impact on recovery and access to justice.
Throughout the day, over 120 participants also discussed the future Barnahus in Croatia, focusing on strengthening professional expertise, legal reforms, and social and behavioural change strategies to improve awareness and responses to child sexual abuse. Children from the Ombudsperson for Children's Network of Young Advisors offered their perspectives on how future Croatian Barnahus should look like.
Reflecting on the achievements, Irena Guidikova, Head of Human Dignity and Gender Equality Department of the Council of Europe emphasised that “Croatia is now becoming a model within Europe, showing that while inspiration and learning from peers is essential, the most meaningful reform is rooted in the local context and built with local voices and expertise at the forefront.” Kjartan Björnsson, Head of Unit at the European Commission (SG reform) strongly encouraged the Ministry and all partners “to build on the achievements of this project and continue moving forward with the implementation of the Barnahus model.”
The project, co-funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the European Commission and the Croatian Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, has run from 1 September 2023, and will officially conclude on 30 June 2026.
Conference progremme in 
Calls for Tenders
