On 5^th of February 2025, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), in partnership with UNICEF Kosovo, organized a roundtable discussion entitled “Addressing Sexual Violence Against Children” bringing together representatives from Kosovo institutions, service providers, civil society, and relevant stakeholders, aiming at strengthening efforts in recognizing, preventing, and reporting child abuse.

Opening the event, the EULEX Deputy Head Mission, Emily Rakhorst, addressed the participants stressing the importance of creating a safety net around children, and recalling that a proper response to suspected or proven cases of abuse can shape a child’s journey toward healing, justice, and recovery.

The Head of UNICEF Kosovo, Veronica Vashchenko, highlighted the urgency of addressing such a persistent and sensitive challenge, pointing out the critical need to increase investment in prevention programs, strengthen law enforcement, and provide comprehensive victim support, along with sustainable financing for child protection services.

The panel featured various group discussions focused on addressing and responding to cases of sexual violence against children, identifying critical capacity gaps, and recommending specific interventions to protect the most vulnerable.

In particular, participants discussed the needs of the child-victim during the intervention, investigation and reintegration phases, and prevention measures, thanks to the insightful inputs provided by presentations on: data on child victims of sexual violence provided by the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM); the Kosovo Protocol on Handling Cases of Sexual Violence, European standards and best practices; as well as the Barnahus model - Child Protection Houses – a useful multidisciplinary model that provides child-friendly support for child survivors and witnesses of violence, abuse and exploitation.

Moved by the common vision that every child deserves to grow up in a world free from fear and abuse, through this partnership, EULEX and UNICEF aim to foster a more coordinated and impactful approach to child protection, ensuring that vulnerable children are not only heard but also supported in their journey toward justice and recovery.

The activity was part of EULEX small scale project “Support to Kosovo Institutions in Combating Child Sexual Exploitation.”