The Public Prosecution inaugurated on Wednesday, 15 April, the first three child-friendly investigation rooms, established with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The rooms are located at the Sheikh Zayed Prosecution Office, the Child Prosecution Office in the Al-Amiriya Courts Complex, and the Alexandria Courts Complex.
This initiative is the first of its kind in Egypt. It forms part of efforts to strengthen children’s rights and achieve the child’s best interest through cooperation between the Public Prosecution and UNICEF.
At the opening, Counselor Mohamed Shawky, the Attorney General of the Arab Republic of Egypt, stated that equipping these child-friendly rooms comes within the Public Prosecution’s plan to activate a child-friendly justice system. This ensures the protection of children during various stages of investigation, preserves their dignity, and takes into account their psychological and social needs.
He added that this model will be gradually generalized across all governorates of the Republic.
Shawky explained that the rooms were prepared according to approved international standards in terms of design and equipment. They include appropriate educational tools and integrated audio and video recording systems.
These allow for the documentation of investigation sessions, avoid repeated appearances of the child before investigative authorities, and enable the child’s statements to be heard without direct confrontation with the accused.
Discussion about this post