An Austrian delegation visited Aska House (Centre Koutcha), France’s first dedicated facility for child victims of trafficking, on 29 June 2026, to exchange expertise on support services for child victims of trafficking. The study visit aimed to learn from the French experience in establishing and operating a shelter for child victims of human trafficking.
The centre, which was opened in October 2021 and is managed by the NGO Koutcha, offers secure accommodation, multidisciplinary care, and trauma-informed support to children referred by Child Welfare or Judicial Youth Protection authorities. In a report published last week, the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) welcomed the opening of the centre.
The delegation met with the President of Koutcha, the staff of Aska House and a representative of the Prefecture. They also held discussions with representatives of the National Gendarmerie, which the centre partners closely with, and with the Inter-regional Directorate for Judicial Youth Protection of the French Ministry of Justice, the centre’s main institutional partner. In addition, the delegation learned about Satouk, the national network run by Koutcha, which provides shelter and comprehensive support to child victims of trafficking across France.
The Austrian delegation was composed of members of the Austrian Working Group against Child Trafficking, including representatives of the Federal Chancellery, the Criminal Intelligence Service, the Child and Youth Welfare Service of the City of Vienna, and specialised NGOs.
This study visit was organised under the Joint Project “Improving the support services for child victims of trafficking in Austria”, co-funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the European Commission. The knowledge gained during the visit will support the development of Austria’s own specialised national protection facility for child victims of trafficking.
