Enhancing the efficiency of the justice system through the protection/empowerment of victims and vulnerable parties

A joint effort towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe

The project Enhancing the efficiency of the justice system through the protection/empowerment of victims and vulnerable parties received a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway in the amount of €1,020,000.00. The project was co-financed in the amount of €180,000.00 from the state budget of the Slovak Republic.

The goal of the project is to contribute to streamlining and improving the quality of the justice system in the area of protection of crime victims and minors in family legal disputes. Part of this effort is also a pilot project aimed at settling family legal disputes in selected courts.

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Since October 2019, in the interest of the best possible protection of minors, an environment has been created for close cooperation between judges, psychologists, social defenders or mediators in family legal disputes, who are specially trained to deal with minors. The environment in which the interaction with minors takes place should thus take into account their needs and the whole hearing should be less stressful for them.

This project should complement and strengthen the program Domestic violence and gender-based violence financed by Norwegian funds, as victims of domestic violence need special understanding and protection. Therefore, the main purpose of the project is to fill the gaps that are not covered by the program for gender-based violence.

The planned completion of the project’s main activities is expected in April 2024, when comprehensive protection of vulnerable participants will be achieved.

If you want to learn more about programs and projects financed by EEA Grants in Slovakia, visit www.eeagrants.sk.

The EEA grants represent Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway’s contribution to a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.

They have two main goals: reducing economic and social differences in Europe and strengthening mutual relations between the contributing countries and the 15 EU countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltics.

The three contributing states work closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). As donors, they gradually provided 3.3 billion euros through grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. EEA grants for the period 2014-2021 amount to 1.55 billion euros. The priorities of this period are:

Innovation, research, education and competitiveness
Social inclusion, youth employment and poverty eradication
Environment, energy, climate change and low carbon economy
Culture, civil society, good governance and fundamental rights
Justice and internal affairs

EEA grants are funded jointly by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway according to their GDP.

Eligibility to draw these grants reflects the criteria established for the EU Cohesion Fund, which is intended for Member States with a gross national product (GNP) per capita lower than 90% of the EU average.

All projects are co-financed in the amount of 15% from the state budget of the Slovak Republic.

More information about the project

Major milestones:

Interdepartmental meetings for the purpose of strengthening cooperation or promotion and dissemination of knowledge between different state authorities

2019 – 2024

These are professional meetings of representatives of ministries, the general prosecutor’s office, the police force or civil associations on the topic of interrogations of particularly vulnerable victims and their impact on the psyche, but also on the topic of interrogation rooms. The result of these meetings should be measures that harmonize the procedures of various state authorities towards victims. Another aspect is the introduction of protection orders that focus on the offender (such as restraining orders, electronic monitoring), alternative sentences and protective measures (probation and rehabilitation programs for offenders).

Interdepartmental meetings held so far:

08.-09.10.2019 in Slovakia

The first interdepartmental meeting was attended by employees from the Ministry of the Slovak Republic, representatives of OS BA II, OS Galanta, OS Rimavská Sobota, OS Zvolen, OS Prešov, KS v Prešov, OS Rožňava, OS Spišská Nová Ves and, last but not least, APZ in BA. The program was carried out by the presentation of the project, continuing with the topic Hearing the child’s opinion, questioning vulnerable persons, good practice from APZ in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, and demonstrations of aids.

11.-12.12.2019 in Rimavská Sobota

The first interdepartmental meeting was attended by employees from the Ministry of the Slovak Republic, representatives of OS BA II, OS Galanta, OS Rimavská Sobota, OS Zvolen, OS Prešov, KS v Prešov, OS Rožňava, OS Spišská Nová Ves and lastly APZ in BA. The program was carried out by the presentation of the project, continuing the theme of hearing the child’s opinion, questioning vulnerable persons, practice from APZ in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, and demonstrations of aids.

09.01.2020 in Banská Bystrica

The meeting took place between the Ministry of Justice and several institutions such as Zvolen OS, BA II OS, Galanta OS, BB District Prosecutor’s Office, Zvolen Family and Social Affairs Office and KS in BB. Those present were informed about the status of the project, including details of the upcoming Introductory Conference with international participation. Subsequently, the discussion focused on the potential of establishing special interrogation rooms and the course of the actual interrogation with the victims.

09.03. – 10.03.2020 in Omšenie

The participants of this interdepartmental meeting were the Ministry of the Slovak Republic, APZ in BA, OS Zvolen, OS BA II, OS Galanta. The program of the meeting was Introduction to the chapters of the methodology of interviewing vulnerable victims. A representative from the Police Academy in Bratislava reported on the specifics of interrogation and the course called Special interrogation rooms.

25.06.2020 in Bratislava

The information office for victims in Bratislava was visited by a representative of the MSSR. The participants presented the activities and goals of the projects so far, which are aimed at improving the access to the victims of crimes in the courts and at the same time during the proceedings of the civil courts during the resolution of family disputes. The representatives of the Ministry of the Interior consider the working interview/networking to be mutually beneficial. The result is the expressed interest in cooperation within the Memorandum on cooperation between the two departments.

30.07.2020 in Bratislava

The interdepartmental meeting was attended by employees from the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic and the Labor Office of Social and Family Affairs of the BA, where the subject of discussion was the deepening of cooperation by joining the project within the framework of the education of judges and the possibility of finding suitable lecturers. Several shortcomings from the point of view of child victimization and the lack of crisis centers were discussed.

26.05.2021 in Bratislava

The meeting was attended by employees of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic and KMC-IVPR, NKS. Those present addressed topics in the area of protection of the rights of minors, other proposals from various civil initiatives providing advice, representation and other activities in the topics of minors in the family law agenda.

8.9.2021 (online)

An online meeting was held with representatives of accredited entities to help victims of domestic violence crimes. Those present addressed the procedure of the Ministry of the Slovak Republic in the establishment and financing of intervention centers in accordance with Act 274/2017 Coll. about victims of crimes.

27.09.2021 in Bratislava

The participants of the interdepartmental meeting were the Ministry of Justice and the Labor Office of Social and Family Affairs BA. The subject of the working meeting was the evaluation of comments and suggestions – proposals for additions – of the Department of Equality of Women and Men and Equal Opportunities of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, members of the Committee for Gender Equality and the Coordination and Methodological Center for Gender-Based and Domestic Violence and the Labor Headquarters , social affairs and family of the Slovak Republic.

5.-6.10.2021 in Omšenie

The participants of the interdepartmental meeting were an expert team from the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic, representatives from the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic and representatives of the regional courts of Bratislava, Trnava, Trenčín, Nitra, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Košice, Prešov and the Specialized Criminal Court of Pezinok. The program of the working meeting was the implementation of the project from the point of view of involvement in the project through partnership and synergy of institutions in the individual activities of the project.

14.10.2021 in Bratislava

The participants of this interdepartmental meeting were representatives from the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic, representatives from the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, the Office of Public Health and the Presidium of the Ministry of Health. The subject of the meeting was a discussion on the topic of protection of crime victims and protection of minors in family law disputes.

18.10.2021 (online)

An online interdepartmental meeting to prepare a methodology regarding the procedure of the courts in the guardianship agenda in cases of domestic violence and a subsequent educational course. An online meeting was held with representatives of accredited entities to help victims of domestic violence crimes.

14.02.2022 (online)

The online interdepartmental meeting was held primarily for the purpose of getting to know the concept of Barnahus with representatives of the National Coordinating Center for Solving the Problem of Violence Against Children (NKS), the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of the Slovak Republic.

15.02.2022 in Bratislava

The meeting took place between the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic and several institutions such as the Police Force of the Slovak Republic, the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, the Institute of State and Law of the Slovak Republic and the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic. The subject of the meeting was the discussion on the amendment to the Criminal Code, which is in the legislative process in the context of the widely discussed proposed new criminal offense „Spreading false information“.

17.02.2022 in Bratislava

The participants of the interdepartmental meeting were representatives from the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic and representatives from institutions such as Slovak Bar Association, General Prosecutor’s Office of the Slovak Republic, Presidium of the Criminal Court, Specialized Criminal Court and regional courts. The program of the meeting was the presentation of the amendments to the Criminal Code.

Media campaign

2020 – 2024

For the general public and experts.

Opening conference with foreign participation (February 10-11, 2020 in Stará Lesna)
On February 10 and 11, 2020, the opening conference was held in the Educational and Rehabilitation Center of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Slovak Republic in Stará Lesná. On behalf of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic, it was attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic, the entire project team and the expert team of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic.

As part of the program, topics related to the interrogation of particularly vulnerable victims in pre-trial proceedings with a special emphasis on the questioning of a child, secondary victimization of particularly vulnerable victims, practical experience in operating interrogation rooms and many others were presented.

Foreign guests were Mr. Jürgen Hahn as a guide to a structured hearing for children in a forensic context for the Ministry of the Interior, Digitalization and Migration Baden-Württemberg and Lt. Col. Mgr. Martina Petrovičová from the Police Presidium of the Czech Republic, who presented the experience of the Police of the Czech Republic with the use of special interrogation rooms in operations with particularly vulnerable victims.

Preparations for the announcement of the public procurement, including the preparation of a description of the subject of the contract, have currently begun.

Modification of specialized rooms in 8 courts

2022 – 2023

Renovation work took place in 2022-2023 at the eight courts that became project partners. The aim of these works was to create a special interrogation and monitoring room. The interrogation room has the character of a living room so that it is suitable not only for minors, but also for adult vulnerable victims. The second room is the monitoring room, which is equipped with technical equipment that enables the transmission and storage of audio-visual recordings and serves to ensure the presence of those participants in the proceedings and persons whose participation in the interrogation is required in accordance with legal regulations.

These rooms are especially suitable for interaction between minors in a friendly environment, which should positively affect the benefit of minors, as well as their participation in court proceedings.

Project partners:
City Court Bratislava II
District Court Galanta
District Court Spišská Nová Ves
District Court Rožňava
District Court Zvolen
District Court Rimavská Sobota
Regional Court in Prešov
District Court Prešov

Enhancing the efficiency of the justice system through the protection/empowerment of victims and vulnerable parties.

In order to improve knowledge about the treatment of victims, a manual was created under the title „Enhancing the efficiency of the justice system through the protection/empowerment of victims and vulnerable parties“.

The manual points to the establishment of specialized rooms in selected courts, as well as to the conduct of questioning and questioning in such a way that children and particularly vulnerable victims are not secondary victimized and that suitable conditions are created for them during court proceedings.

Educational program for mediators and judges

2021 – 2024

The educational program, which was created for mediators and judges, entitled „Special approach to minors in court proceedings“, aims to deepen knowledge about the position of children in parental conflicts, to practice skills in talking with a child, and to strengthen the practical side of multidisciplinary cooperation between courts and mediators.

Two-day trainings held so far:

7.-8.6.2022 in Bratislava
12 judges and 7 mediators from all over the Slovak Republic took part in the training in Bratislava.

22.-23.11.2022 in Bratislava
20 judges and 7 mediators from all over Slovakia took part in the training in Bratislava.

15.-16.3.2023 in Bratislava
10 judges and 11 mediators from all over Slovakia took part in the training in Bratislava

15.-16.1.2024 in Bratislava (online)
8 judges and 9 mediators from all over Slovakia participated in the training

Creation of a program aimed at judges and prosecutors

2021 – 2024

The goal is to create such educational programs that will not only improve knowledge about the treatment of victims, but also create cooperation between the prosecutor’s office and the courts, which will unify the attitude towards victims throughout the entire judicial process. This goal includes the creation of synergy between the prosecution and the courts and in this way represents the establishing unity of attitude towards the victims throughout the judicial process.

A pilot training took place on the first educational program created, the aim of which is to improve skills in dealing with victims with an emphasis on particularly vulnerable victims and the application of their rights throughout the entire judicial process.

Trainings held so far:

06.02.2022 in Bratislava
5 judges and 5 prosecutors from all over Slovakia took part in the training in Bratislava.

11.05.2023 in Bratislava
19 prosecutors and 4 judges from all over the Slovak Republic took part in the training in Bratislava.

Study stay for judges, prosecutors and employees of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic

2022 – 2023

In May 2022, the first study stay took place at the Children’s House in Trondheim, Norway. 9 judges, 6 prosecutors and 2 persons from the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic participated. The aim of the visit was to transfer best practice from Norway, to improve knowledge about the methods and procedures designed to protect victims and to introduce measures to prevent secondary and repeated victimization in court proceedings.

In October 2023, a second study stay took place in cooperation with the Government Agency for Children and Families in Iceland. 9 prosecutors, 8 judges and 2 persons from the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic participated. The aim of the visit was to transfer the best practice from Iceland, to improve knowledge of the methods and procedures designed to protect victims and to introduce measures to prevent secondary and repeated victimization in legal proceedings.