Child Abuse Victims Get Court Protection

Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks on Jan. 1 when he visited the AFESIP organization and met the girls.

PHNOM PENH – Prosecutors and examining judges can now question victims under the age of 10 in their homes and prevent children from facing offenders in court.



The Justice Ministry made this decision in response to a request from Prime Minister Hun Sen.



The founder of AFESIP, an NGO caring for and securing girls and women victimized by human trafficking and sex slavery, had asked the Prime Minister to consider the matter. 



On Jan. 4, Justice Minister Keut Rith approved new procedures for minors under 18 years old in criminal cases.



In cases involving children under 10 or who are not able to travel, prosecutors and examining judges can visit their home to listen to their answers.



Where needed in court, judges must put up a barrier or other method to prevent child victims from facing offenders directly.



He said children can be scared meeting offenders, making it harder to seek the truth and causing them psychological distress.



The minister said also that trial judges must pay attention to excluding the public in accordance with Article 316 of the Criminal Procedure Code. 



Keut Rith said an additional three phases of the procedure for minors would guarantee the effectiveness of investigations and protect the interests of the child victims. 



These include investigation phases by prosecutors, examining phase by judges and trial phases by judges.



On Jan. 1, Mam Somaly, anti-sex trafficking activist and the founder of AFESIP (French acronym for Acting for Women in Distressing Situations), made a request about the emotional safety of child victims attending trials.



“Please don’t let the girls under five years old attend the trial in the court, because there is a problem every time they attend,” Somaly said in tears at the end of her speech.



“They are always psychologically troubled after having met the offenders,” she added.



Hun Sen agreed and said he would discuss it with the Ministry of Justice.



The Prime Minister called on Keut Rith and Chou Bun Eng, permanent vice-chair of the National Committee for Country Trafficking , to cooperate to protect children.



“The young victims are not even over the fear of the abuse yet, so bringing them into the court will only leave emotional impacts on them…although the AFESIP organization takes care of the girls and their psychological distress,” he said.



He spoke on Jan. 1 when he visited the AFESIP organization and met the girls.



Established in 1996, AFESIP is a non-governmental organization that helps girls and young women who survived and were victimized by and are at risk of human trafficking, sex slavery, abuse, and exploitation by teaching them to be financially independent and educated.



 



Meng Seavmey contributed to the story.


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