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Assessing the Impact of the Barnahus model for the protection of child victims in Criminal Justice
Sat, September 14, 9:30 to 10:45am, Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest, Floor: Ground floor, Amphitheater 4 „Vintilă Dongoroz”Abstract
This paper presents the outcomes of a methodological evaluation aimed at assessing noteworthy changes in Criminal justice subsequent to the implementation of the Barnahus model. Employing the inaugural pilot of the Barnahus model in Spain, established in 2020 in Tarragona, as a case study, the analysis examines potential enhancements in the access of child victims of sexual abuse to the criminal justice system, as well as the mitigation of revictimizing practices for children and their families.
To achieve this objective, a longitudinal analysis spanning five years, from 2018 to 2022, was conducted within the Province of Tarragona. Following an agreement with the Spanish Public Prosecutor, data were gathered from case files within the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Tarragona, facilitating the identification of changes in the process durations, the utilization of preconstituted evidence, the assessment of child credibility, and the sentencing of cases.
The study employed a quantitative methodology, founded on a systematic examination of judicial records regarding cases of sexual violence by adults against children and adolescents under 16 years old. Additionally, the research features an ecological comparison between two judicial regions: one with the adoption of the Barnahus Model (Tarragona) and another without the Model, situated in the province of Lleida, and over the same 5-year period. Cases incorporated in the study are those concluded with some form of judicial resolution, whether it be case dismissal (27.94%), sentencing (8.45%), or provisional qualification by the Public Prosecutor (8.99%). In total, 1,124 records underwent scrutiny, with 45.37% of cases being included in the study.
The findings of this study are expected to not only assess the initial cases handled by Barnahus in Catalonia and Spain but also to establish an analytical methodology conducive to monitoring changes over time and applicable beyond regional borders to other territories and countries.