On 12 March in the Complex for Social Services for Children and Families was held a Round Table on the topic “Cooperation for better implementation of Directive 2012/29/EC”. The meeting was attended by representatives of the CSSCF, Direction “Social Assistance” (Vidin), the State Agency for child Protection, the Supreme Prosecution Office of Cassation, the Court of Vidin, and the Prosecution Office of Vidin.

D-r Nadya Stoykova presented at the participants the requirements of Directive 2012/29/EC establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime. In connection to the forthcoming transposition of the Directive, in Vidin will be piloted an innovative model for local cooperation between the Child protection services, the Police, the Court, the Prosecution, the local structures of the health system, and providers of social services. The objective of the interdisciplinary interaction is to guarantee the immediate and coordinated action of the responsible authorities in cases of violence, in order to guarantee the safety of the children and to prepare an individual assessment of the child’s needs. Nadya Stoykova raised the question of the participation of a prosecutor in the very first meeting of the Coordination mechanism and made a proposal to discuss the decision to organise a child-friendly hearing in the specialised facility of the CSSCF during this first meeting.

The participants discussed the possibilities to prepare an individual assessment of the needs of child victims or witnesses of crime at the local level and the identification of the institution responsible to coordinate the local structures involved in this process.