Child-Friendly Justice in Greece: Dealing with Offenders, Witnesses and Victims in the Juvenile Justice System

• In Event: Tensions and contradictions in modern juvenile justice: participation, child rights and institutional responses

Abstract

The proposed paper is an attempt to explore the function of the juvenile justice system concerning the involvement of children in it as perpetrators, witnesses or victims from a child-friendly point of view. Its aim is to highlight the institutional framework and the actual operation of the agencies of the justice system dealing with juvenile delinquency and victimization and question their adjustment to the principles and demands stemming from the core of child-friendly justice, the prioritization of the best interests of children and the safeguard of their rights. The paper consists of three parts; (i) review of literature on the Greek juvenile justice system, its foundation, standards and characteristics, (ii) experimental qualitative research with interviews with professionals working in the field on the juvenile justice system background, legal provisions and actual implementation and (iii) conclusions and proposals in the context of a justice system consistent with the needs of children, protecting them from stigmatization and secondary victimization.

Authors

• Ναταλία Χουβαρδά, Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Social Policy

• Sofia Douma, Democritus University of Thrace