The Deputy Attorney General participated in a meeting of the Steering Committee of the project "Protection of Children's Rights and Ensuring Child-Friendly Justice in Ukraine," implemented in collaboration with the Office of the Council of Europe.

Maria Vdovichenko noted that thanks to the support of international partners, the pilot project initiated by the prosecutor's office, which started in 2023 in six regions, now covers the entire country. An extremely important stage has been the organized training on inter-agency cooperation in criminal proceedings involving children, in which, in addition to prosecutors, over 900 specialists participated.

The knowledge gained has already had practical results:

• 70% of procedural actions involving children are conducted in child-friendly conditions;

• in over 90% of cases, interrogations are conducted jointly with psychologists;

• in 83% of cases, confidentiality of the proceedings has been ensured, with hearings taking place in closed sessions;

• in 60% of cases, minors who committed offenses received lighter penalties.

Maria Vdovichenko emphasized that the Attorney General has prioritized the protection of children's interests in the activities of the prosecutor's office. The leadership of regional prosecutor's offices is personally involved in supporting public prosecution in criminal proceedings where children are both victims and defendants.

Particular attention is paid to the training of prosecutors. In collaboration with the Council of Europe, training programs are being developed that take into account the best international practices, standards, and protocols for conducting interviews with children, as well as innovative tools for their implementation.

“The cooperation between the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Council of Europe has strengthened Ukraine's institutional capacities and changed approaches to protecting children's rights in criminal proceedings. We are confident that together we will continue to ensure that every child feels protected and receives the necessary support,” said the Deputy Attorney General.