Barnahus Centre opens in Chernihiv: Supreme Court judge highlights the importance of the initiative

Judge Pavlo Parkhomenko of the Supreme Court's Civil Cassation Court joined, via video link, a round-table discussion marking the opening of a Barnahus Child Protection Centre in Chernihiv. The centre is the first of its kind in the region and the sixteenth in Ukraine. The event also brought together representatives of central government authorities, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and international partners.

In his remarks, Judge Parkhomenko emphasised the importance of the Barnahus model for developing a child-friendly justice system in Ukraine. According to the judge, one of the key instruments for introducing this approach has been the case law of the Supreme Court, which has incorporated international standards on child justice into domestic judicial practice.

The centre operates as a one-stop service, providing a safe and supportive environment for children who have been victims or witnesses of crime. Interviews are conducted by specially trained psychologists, and video recordings of the interviews may be admitted as evidence in court, helping to prevent children from being subjected to repeated trauma.

Participants noted that, in the context of the ongoing war, establishing such centres is particularly important. They also stressed that inter-agency cooperation and the support of international partners make it possible to provide children with assistance in line with the highest international standards.

It was noted that 14 of the 16 Barnahus centres currently operating in Ukraine have been established since the start of the full-scale invasion. This has been made possible through the joint efforts of the Ukrainian authorities and their partners. Since the network was launched, more than 3,300 children have received assistance.

Representatives of the Interagency Coordination Council on Juvenile Justice emphasised that the initiative extends beyond the establishment of centres. Training for professionals and community-level capacity-building activities continue to strengthen the early identification of cases of violence against children and ensure an appropriate and timely response.

The project, "Implementation of the Barnahus Model for the Protection of Child Victims of Violence", was initiated by the Interagency Coordination Council on Juvenile Justice and is being implemented by the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, an international charitable foundation established by HealthRight International, with the support of UNICEF Ukraine.