ASTANA, November 10 - Sputnik, Ksenia Voronina. For two years in Aktau, with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), a center for assistance to juvenile victims and witnesses of crime has been operating. During this time, 36 juvenile victims of sexual crimes have undergone full rehabilitation. But the staff of the center also work with the parents of the children who have suffered, helping the adults who have come to them who have experienced violence in childhood, as well as with the children who are going through the divorce of their parents.
The project is being implemented by the public association "Meyerim" headed by the director Alexander Mukha. At the conference in Astana, he shared his successful experience with the correspondent of Sputnik Kazakhstan.
If something goes wrong
A crime against a child is a huge grief and severe trauma for both the child and his parents. To get out of the state of shock, you need a well-coordinated mechanism of interaction between government agencies and specialists - psychologists and social workers.
A juvenile assistance center was opened in the building of the "Shkolnik" center in Aktau in January 2016. There are two psychologists, two social workers and a coordinator working here.
"We have entered into an agreement between the court, health care, education, juvenile police. They respond to treatment, provide first aid, hand over the child to us. We are working to gradually remove the child from the state of trauma. Our psychologists are connected automatically. And the first investigation of the case. begins only after the psychologist has talked to the child and prepared him, "says Mukha.
The workers of the center prepare the child for work with the investigation and the court, help to open up, to give evidence.
"We advise the investigation and the court how to ask questions, depending on the age and perception of the child, so as not to traumatize, so that the child correctly understands the question and can answer. When the trial is underway, the child is not present in the courtroom. He is in a home equipped a room where he feels protected. There is a monitor and a camera. The child does not have to face a criminal and receive additional experiences because of this. There is a psychologist in the room, observing the process. If you need to answer a question, the psychologist turns to the child, and he can give an answer during the game ", - explains the head of the center.
Parents need help too
According to Mukha, the parents of the injured children often put pressure on the child, because they are afraid of publicity. As a result, the child becomes isolated, the offender escapes punishment.
"The parents of the affected children also experience severe trauma and social pressure. They are accused of not being able to save the child. Children are afraid to talk about violence, because the intimidation and fear comes from the parents. Therefore, we have developed and offer a rehabilitation program for the parents themselves.", says Mucha.
If the rapist is a relative?
Working with parents has helped bring more crimes against the sexual integrity of children to trial.
“It's no secret that most often the violence is committed by relatives, and from the male side. People are afraid to“wash dirty linen in public”, but they turn to us because the child is“not in order.”We work with the child and the parents. the need to report child abuse and harassment, "says Mucha.
"I was raped as a child"
The center has a good reputation. People who have experienced abuse in childhood and still have not coped with the trauma began to seek help here.
"The program provides for certain criteria, which children we can take - those against whom the crime was committed. They are sent to us by a court or school. But there are many more hits thanks to word of mouth. Our psychologists are visited by 20-30-year-old people who talk about the violence committed against them in childhood. And we work with them."
Friendly investigator
Soon three "children's" investigation rooms will open in Mangistau region - in Aktau, Zhanaozen and Munaylinsky district
"The investigation room is a table and bare walls, which is not suitable for a traumatized child. We create a comfortable home. An investigator specializing in working with child victims or witnesses of crimes will work in the" children's "offices. work with children. As a rule, it is difficult for an "adult" investigator to adapt to children, "explains Mukha.
"What else is good about the center - we can provide the child with any conditions he wishes. There are 115 children's circles next to us, all of them are free. We work with schools, we train school psychologists so that they can work with such children, with the leaders of courtyard clubs. We do not we disclose what exactly happened to the child, but we say that this is a child with special needs due to the fact that he was a participant in either a civil or criminal process, "says Mukha.
Participants in civil proceedings are child witnesses of various crimes, most often domestic violence. Another category of children is “victims” of divorce.
“We now have a lot of processes when, during a divorce, parents“tear”children apart - here relatives from both sides are involved, enormous pressure is exerted on the child. We asked that these children also be sent to us,” the head of the center explained.
State, answer me!
"Of course, we would like our center to be closed as unnecessary - so that there are no crimes against children. But the problem is that there are no centers like ours in Kazakhstan. This is a pilot project. UNICEF has plans to expand their activities across the country, but we would like to see a greater involvement of the state so that the centers for adaptation of minors (TsANs) fulfill their function and work with children and achieve results, "Mukha concludes.