FOSTER – Fostering Child-Friendly Legal Environments through Collaborative Networks

ABOUT THE PROJECT

FOSTER is a transnational project in the area of victims’ rights, focusing specifically on children as victims.

It’s important to recognise that child victims of crime require special consideration and protection due to their vulnerability. Studies show that justice systems often cause them additional harm because they are not adapted to their rights and needs.

Professionals, including lawyers, often lack specialised training in dealing with cases involving child victims. It is imperative that all children are treated with dignity and respect and in a child-friendly manner. It is also important to ensure they are informed about their rights and how to seek redress.

The project aims to ensure the support and protection of child victims by fostering cooperation between national authorities and relevant stakeholders. The project’s objectives include creating a legal environment that guarantees appropriate care for child victims. This will be achieved by training 640 lawyers in victim-sensitive communication and developing practical guides for legal professionals. Additionally, the project seeks to establish strong cooperation networks among legal practitioners, authorities, and stakeholders, providing tools to sustain these partnerships. Ultimately, it strives to promote a comprehensive, child-friendly justice system that upholds the rights and well-being of child victims.

Five project partners from four EU countries participate in the project: coordinating institution Centre for European Constitutional Law (Greece) and partners Society of Social Psychiatry P. Sakellaropoulos (Greece), Center for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria), The Centre for Social Sciences (Hungary) and Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law (Slovenia).

This project received funding from the European Union’s Justice Programme (JUST).