Continued need for legal training to effectively tackle trafficking in human beings and domestic violence in Moldova, concludes OSCE evaluation
The training of trainers remains an effective way to disseminate knowledge among legal professionals in handling cases of human trafficking, domestic violence and the sexual exploitation of children through the internet, concludes an evaluation report presented by the OSCE Mission to Moldova on 22 October 2015 in Chisinau.
The evaluation, which reviews the results of training programmes provided to prosecutors, judges, lawyers and other legal professionals, observes that joint programmes involving different representatives of the justice system allow such cases to be investigated and prosecuted more effectively. By sensitizing legal professionals to the issues facing victims of these crimes, the training programmes also strengthen victims’ confidence in co-operating with the justice system.
“Every year, a new generation of lawyers, judges and prosecutors enters the justice system, usually without any prior knowledge or experience of handling trafficking and domestic violence cases,” said Diana Scobioala, Director of the National Institute of Justice, where the report was presented. “As this evaluation has shown, continuous professional development programmes allow legal practitioners to remain up-to-date on the current best practices for investigating and prosecuting cases in these highly specialized fields.”
A number of recommendations were developed as a result of the evaluation, including the provision of more detailed programmes for specific beneficiaries, such as for judges on judicial practices in domestic violence cases. It also recommends that the training curriculum be regularly revised to respond to trends, including the growing prevalence of labour exploitation, organ trafficking and related cybercrimes.
The OSCE Mission has co-operated with the Moldovan National Institute of Justice to support professional development programmes for legal practitioners since 2009. In this time, the Mission has supported a total of 75 national trainers, who in turn have gone on to train some 730 judges, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, psychologists and law enforcement officers.