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The Ministry of Justice issued a circular on Forensic Interview Rooms (AGO), which serve in courts to prevent secondary abuse of children and women, especially victims of crime, in judicial processes.
In the circular signed by the Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül, the members of the Judiciary were asked to show sensitivity to complete the procedures of expression and declaration in the private environments prepared without confronting the victims with the perpetrators of violence during the process judicial.
THE RIGHTS OF THE VICTIM IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION PLAN
Within the framework of the Human Rights Action Plan announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 2, an activity is carried out to more effectively protect the rights of girls and women who are victims of violence during and after the judicial process. . As a continuation of the previous measures taken to protect the rights of the victims, the Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül issued the circular of the Forensic Interview Chambers (AGO).
THE VICTIM AND THE ACTIONS OF THE CRIME WILL NOT COME FACE
With the circular sent to all Prosecutors General and Justice Commissions, it was requested that girls and women victims of sexual abuse and violence be sensitive to carrying out the procedures for expression and declaration in specially equipped rooms without facing up to their authors during the judicial process.
The Circular noted that in order to strengthen access to justice for all vulnerable groups, especially children, and reveal the material truth, together with the prevention of secondary abuse, expressions and statements must be made in the Department of Justice. interviews according to the existing physical, mental and psychological conditions of these people.
AGO APPS SHOULD BE INCREASED AND USED MORE FUNCTIONALS
In the circular that draws attention to 20 different issues related to the use of AGO, the following sections came to the fore:
– Use the AGO not only for the statements of children, but also to take statements from other crime victims and especially women victims of violence, who are considered not to be face to face with the suspect or accused or whose statements must be taken. in a private environment,
– Increase AGO applications and use them in a more functional way,
– During the investigation phase, the victim, whose statement is applied in private environments and centers, should not rest again, except in mandatory cases, and in order not to cause secondary trauma,
– Use AGO as much as possible in receiving statements from witnessed children,
– In cases related to divorce, custody and the establishment of a personal relationship with the child, the use of AGO to take the statements of the children as witnesses during the hearing, that the children are not traumatized in the judicial environment in presence of their parents,
– Taking the statements of the children that are prepared by the expert to be heard in AGO at the indicated time, not allowing the children to wait a long time in the judicial process and preventing secondary trauma,
– The questions that the prosecutor, judge or lawyer should ask the interviewee are directed by an expert psychologist, pedagogue or social worker, taking into account the age, development and individual characteristics of the child or victim,
– During the forensic interview, important details were included such as not interrupting the victim’s narrative with questions and allowing her to express herself comfortably, and the judicial authorities were asked to show the necessary attention and care in these matters.
VICTIM AND CRIME ACTIVITIES DO NOT COME IN FACE
The Forensic Interview Rooms (AGO), currently located in 95 courts, were piloted by the Ministry of Justice in 2017 in order to make girls, boys and women victims of crime and vulnerable groups feel comfortable when taking their statements and statements, preventing victims and perpetrators from coming face to face during the judicial process. Although secondary victimization of victims of trauma and life is avoided, Turkey has generally made 95, 28 thousand 32 expressions and statements that were taken in this way so far.
DECLARATIONS AND DECLARATIONS ARE RECEIVED BY EXPERTS
In the area of the best interests of the child, the statements and statements of victims, witnesses and children led to the crime, victims of sexual crimes and domestic violence and other vulnerable groups are taken in the AGO through experts. While expert psychologists, pedagogues and social workers prepare the victim for the process of expression with the pre-interview, the victims whose level of anxiety is reduced in specially designed environments make statements to the judicial authorities through the online connection through of experts.
The rooms, which have the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS), which allows them to give a statement without going to the courtroom with their technical team, also have toys so that children feel more comfortable and well in the courtroom environment. In this way, the victim completes the judicial process without having to worry and worry, without coming face to face with the accused, without being affected and without a second trauma.
VICTIMS OF CRIME FEEL SAFER
While the Forensic Interview Rooms aim to establish healthier and safer communication with women and children who are victims of crime, their objective is to protect victims, prevent them from being traumatized in the judicial process, prevent secondary victimization, and strengthen the access to the justice. With the application, women and children who are victims of crime feel more secure in court.
