United Nations Guidelines on

Justice in matters involving child

victims and witnesses of crime

CHILD-FRIENDLY VERSION

Getting started 1

About this document 3

Guidelines 5

What are your rights? 7

How your rights become realin your daily life 25

Words you may not understand 28

For the official version of the UN Guidelines see Economic and SocialCouncil resolution 2005/20 of 22 July 2005. This child-friendly version,which has been produced by UNICEF and UNODC with the support of theInnocenti Research Centre and IBCR, is meant as guidance for childrenand child professionals and is not an official UN document.

Contents

These guidelines werecreated to help make surethat children who have beenharmed by crime and childrenwho have seen others harmed are protectedand treated fairly when they say whathappened to them in a court of law.

Laws are rules that everyone should follow so that people can respect each other and livetogether safely. A crime is committed whensomeone breaks the law.

When a person is accused of breaking the law,they are brought to a court of law to explainwhat happened. Others will also be asked tocome and tell their side of the story. Thepeople in the court will listen to everyone andthen decide if the law was broken and what todo about it. They also will decide how best tohelp the people who were harmed.

Getting started

1

Children who have been harmed or have seenothers harmed by crime may be asked to saywhat happened and what they remember. Inthis way, they can help to protect other childrenfrom harm. When a child says what happened in a court of law, the record of what they say is called their testimony.

Sometimes children who are asked to go tocourt are frightened or worried because theythink their testimony might cause the personaccused of breaking the law to be punished.The person accused may be someone they knowor care about. It is important for children toremember that by telling the truth about whathappened they can help protect others andmake the world a safer place.

When people have committed crimes,they can be brought to a court of

law in order to be judged.

If you have seen someone committing a crime, then it is important that you tell the court whathappened, so that those who are responsible arepunished and those who are innocent are released.

About this document

This document is called “Guidelines on justice in matters involving childvictims and witnesses of crime.”Guidelines are official advice and

explain what should be done and howpeople should act in certain situations.

These guidelines were created to help makesure that children who have been harmed bycrime and children who have seen othersharmed are protected and treated fairly whenthey tell their stories in a court of law. Thedocument will also help protect children whenthey talk to the police, lawyers, social workersand anyone else they meet before and afterthey go to court.

3

A ccrriimmee is an act that breaks the law. This canalso include not doing what the law requires.

A vviiccttiimm is someone who has suffered harm or hasbeen hurt by someone who has broken the law.

A wwiittnneessss is someone who goes to court to saywhat they know or saw happened.

When a person goes to a court of law to tell thetruth about what happened, that person tteessttiiffiieessbefore the court. Everything said in court is writtendown so that no one forgets and this writtenrecord is called tteessttiimmoonnyy.

People from many different countries aroundthe world worked together to develop theseguidelines. They looked at good actions andlaws that were already protecting and helpingchild victims and witnesses of crime. They alsothought about the promises countries hadmade in order to protect children from harm. In 2005, the guidelines were adopted by theUnited Nations. They are to be used bygovernments and by everyone who works withchildren who have been harmed by crime orhave seen others harmed.

At the end of this document, you will find a listof words and their meanings. It will help you tounderstand words that may be new to you.

Don’t be ashamed if you feel frightenedbefore going to court. This is natural.

The present document, which is called“Guidelines”, is precisely aimed at making sure thatyour experience before the court goes as smoothlyas possible and that you are provided witheverything you may need during this process.

Guidelines

5

Countries around the world haveagreed that people should be

treated fairly and live together infreedom and in peace. This is based

on the idea that every person hasequal “rights” and that the rights of each

person should be recognized and respected byeveryone. All children have the same rights andthey are recognized in the United NationsConvention on the Rights of the Child. Theserights are intended to make sure that childrenhave what they need to grow, develop andlearn in safety and in good health, to becomefull members of their community. All theserights are important and need to be respectedat all times.

These guidelines help make sure that the lawsand rules in a country fully protect the rights ofchild victims and witnesses of crime.

As a child, you have rights. Your rights are written in a treaty which has beenadopted by the United Nations.

What are your rights?

You have the right to betreated with dignity andcompassion. This means thatpeople should always show yourespect and understanding.

1. Child victims and witnesses should be treated in a caring and sensitive waythroughout the justice process.

2. Every child should be treated as anindividual with his or her own needs, wishesand feelings.

TThhee ggooaall ooff tthhee jjuussttiiccee pprroocceessss iiss aallwwaayyss ttoo bbee ffaaiirr..

The jjuussttiiccee pprroocceessss involves many steps to repairthe harm that was caused by someone who breaksthe law. It begins when the police, or other people,who make sure laws are obeyed, discover that thelaw was broken. This is usually followed by aninvestigation to collect evidence. If there is a trial,that comes next. Finally, decisions are made aboutwhat can be done to help repair the harm thatwas caused.

3. People who investigate a crime shouldspend only the amount of time with the childthat is necessary to find out what happened.

4. People who interview a child victim orwitness should be specially trained so that theyask questions correctly and in a respectful way.They should think about what the child needs,and treat the child fairly and respectfully.

5. Everyone who has contact with a childvictim or witness should consider the child’sneeds, thoughts and feelings. They should talkto the child in a place where the child feelscomfortable and safe. They should talk in alanguage that the child uses and understands. 7

People involved in the justice process—policemen, judges, etc.—should behave

nicely.

When you meet these people, you can tell them if you don’t feel good—for whatever reason—or ifthere is something you need in particular. Theyshould do everything they can to help you and ifthey can’t, they should tell you why.

When they interview you and you don’t understandwhat they say, ask them to explain. When you feeltired or upset, just say so.

You have the right to be protected fromdiscrimination. This means you have a right tobe treated fairly. Every child in the world looksdifferent and has different ideas and traditions.These differences are like a rainbow where eachcolour brings a special beauty into the worldand makes the world more interesting. It isimportant that differences among people arealways respected, including differences in age,education and family background.

1. Child victims and witnesses should betreated fairly and equally no matter who theyare, where they live, what their parents do,what language they speak, what their religionis, what they think or say, whether they areboys or girls, rich or poor. This includesmigrants and refugees and children who aresick, can’t hear or speak, or use a wheelchair or crutches.

2. Some children need special help andprotection because of the way they have beenharmed. This might be so if children have beensexually assaulted. Also, girls and boys mayneed different things. Special help and protectionshould be offered to these children.

3. Children of all ages have a right to take afull part in the justice process, unless it is notin their best interest. When a child is a witness,the child’s testimony should be respected astrue unless it is proved not to be true, and as

9

long as the child understands the questions andhas answered without help. The child shouldnot suffer harm or be put at risk because oftaking part in this process.

You have the right to be informed. Thismeans you have a right to be told and to knowwhat is happening and to ask questions if youdo not understand.

1. From their first contact with the justicesystem and throughout the justice process,child victims and witnesses, their families andthe people who defend them have the right to be given the following information as soonas possible:

• They have a right to be told what kinds ofhealth, psychological and other services areavailable to help them, and how to use theseservices. They also have a right to know how toget other types of advice or help. Depending onthe situation, they may have a right to financialhelp for the harm caused or to get emergencymoney to help them meet their immediate needs.

All children have the same rights, no matter what their race, colour, sex, language, religion,origin, property, disability, birth, status or that of their parents.

• They have a right to be told what will happenat all stages of the justice process. Childrenshould be told what is expected of them whenthey testify, why their testimony is important,when it will happen, and how. They should betold how it will help to find out what happened.They should also be told about the differentways they might be questioned during theinvestigation and trial.

• They have a right to be told when andwhere hearings and other important events willtake place;

• They have a right to be told what rightschild victims and witnesses have as explainedby the Convention on the Rights of the Childand the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justicefor Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, andhow these rights will be protected;

• They have a right to be told what ishappening to the person suspected of breakingthe law, who is also called the accused. Thisincludes being told if the “accused” has beencaptured or arrested, where the accused isbeing held and for how long, and what willhappen to the accused after the trial;

• They have a right to be told whether it ispossible to receive compensation to help recoverfrom the harm that was done, either from theperson who has broken the law or from thegovernment, and when this is possible, how toreceive it.

11

Do not hesitate to ask anything you want to knowabout the justice process and how people can helpyou during the justice process.

Also, remember that you must always tell the truthto the people involved in the justice process. If, forwhatever reasons, you feel frightened about tellingthe truth, remember that policemen, judges andother people involved in the justice process arethere to help you and, if necessary, to protect you.

You have the right to be heard and toexpress views and concerns. This means youhave a right to give your opinion, to be listenedto and taken seriously. All children have the right to say what they think should happenwhen adults are making decisions about theirlives. This includes decisions made in a legalprocess. As children grow, they will have moreresponsibility to make choices that affect their lives.

1. Professionals and other people in thejustice system should make every effort toallow child victims and witnesses to expressthemselves freely and in their own way aboutwhat they think and feel by:

• Making sure that child victims andwitnesses are able to talk about their worriesand fears about taking part in the justiceprocess. Children should be allowed to decidehow they give their testimony and encouragedto talk about their feelings after the trial is over;

• Making sure that adults take the worries,fears and opinions of children seriously. Whenit is not possible to do something the child hasasked, it is important to explain, so that thechild understands why.

People involved in the justice process—such as policemen or judges—are interested

in what you want to tell them.

Do not hesitate or feel stupid because you can’tfind your words or you don’t know how to explainwhat you have to say. Just help them tounderstand that you have something to say, andthey will help you.

If you want to speak to someone in particular andyou don’t want other people to hear what you say,you can ask to speak to this person in private,without other people there.

You have the right to effective assistance.This means you have a right to get help.

1. Child victims and witnesses and, whenneeded, family members should be able to get help from trained professionals, such asdoctors, nurses, lawyers, judges, police, socialworkers and anyone else who works with childvictims and witnesses of crime.

2. Help may be given as legal help, healthcare, social or educational services or asmoney. It can include medical and psychologicalservices that can help children if they havebeen hurt or suffered harm. It includes anyservices that children may need to help themrecover and feel safe.

3. Professionals should make every effort to work together when they help child victimsand witnesses so that children don’t have tospend more time in the justice process than is necessary.

4. Child victims and witnesses should receivehelp from specialists trained to help them. The job of these specialists is to explain tochildren what will happen at each step of thejustice process and what it expects from them.These specialists also explain to children andtheir families where to go for different kinds of support.

13

If you are frightened by the people whoare interviewing you or if you feel uneasy,

then ask to speak to a person involved inthe justice process that you can trust and who iskind to you.

Do not hesitate to ask for anything you may needduring the justice process. If your needs cannot befulfilled, people should explain why and shouldalways do their best to find a solution andimprove your situation.

5. Professionals should develop ways to helpchildren testify or give evidence more easily.This may include:

• Making sure that child victim and witnessspecialists are available to help children whomay have special needs;

• Making sure that specialists or close familymembers are with the child during his or hertestimony whenever needed, as long as it’s inthe child’s best interests;

• Making sure that an adult is appointed bythe court to be the child’s “legal guardian.”This may be necessary if a child’s parent or theperson who is responsible for that child is notavailable to make decisions that are in the bestinterests of the child.

15

You have the right to privacy. This means youhave a right to keep your personal informationto yourself. It means other things too.

The right to privacy means that you have a right to:

• keep your personal information to yourself

• keep your identity private in certain situations

• live your life without being watched by other people

• talk to people you want to talk to withoutothers listening

• be left alone

1. It is very important that all child victimsand witnesses have their privacy protected.

2. When a child is involved in the justiceprocess, nobody except people who the childtrusts has the right to know the child isinvolved. Adults should keep the child’s nameprivate and not give any information thatwould identify the child.

3. To protect the child, the public and themedia should be kept out of the courtroomduring a child’s testimony.

You have the right to be protected fromhardship during the justice process. Thismeans you have a right to be protected from being treated badly from the moment a crime has been discovered, and all throughthe investigation of that crime and the trial.

1. Professionals should always be under-standing and kind. They should also:

• Stay with child victims and witnesses throughall stages of the justice process, providing helpand support to the child;

• Make sure that when the child is expectedto attend hearings and trials these are plannedahead of time so the child has time to prepare.Child victims and witnesses should meet withthe same professionals to receive help allthrough the process;

Your participation in the justice process is private: nobody but the people involved

in the justice process should know about it.

When you speak in the courtroom, the judge shouldstop the public and journalists from attending.

• Make sure that the trial is completed in as short a time as possible, unless a delay is in the child’s best interest. Investigationsinvolving children should be conducted asquickly as possible and there should be laws orcourt rules to make sure that cases involvingchildren are heard first. A child should beasked to come to court only when necessary;

• Make sure that children are questioned inspecial rooms where they can feel comfortableand safe. Courtrooms should also be set up tomake children feel at ease. Children should beable to take breaks during their testimony, andhearings should be scheduled during the timeof day that is best for the age and maturity ofthe child. Everything possible should be done tomake it easier for the child to testify;

• Limit the number of times a child isquestioned, gives a statement about whathappened, and attends a hearing. One way todo this is by filming what the child says onvideo, so that he or she does not have to bepresent in the court room;

• Make sure the child has no contact withthe accused (also known as the “alleged per-petrator”) except when absolutely necessary.When children are questioned in court, itshould always be out of sight of the accused. A child should never be questioned by the

17

accused. Separate waiting rooms and privateinterview areas should be available for childrenwho testify;

• Make sure, with help from the judge, thatchildren are questioned in court in a way thatthey understand and that does not frightenthem.

People should do their best to make thejustice process as short as possible and

to limit the disturbances you may experiencefrom it.

If you don’t want to see the person who hascommitted a crime, then say so and people willmake sure that you have no more contacts thannecessary with him or her. They will make sure youare well protected every time you meet, so that heor she cannot harm or frighten you.

You have the right to safety. This means youhave a right to feel secure and not be harmed.

1. When there is a chance that a child victimor witness may be harmed, it is very importantthat authorities are told about the possibledangers. Authorities are people who have thepower to make sure that rules are followed.

They may be police officers or other adults who can provide protection. It is important toprotect the child from any possible dangerbefore, during and after the justice process.

2. Professionals who come into contact withchildren should be required to tell authorities ifthey suspect that a child victim or witness hasbeen harmed or may be harmed. This is part oftheir job.

3. Professionals should be trained to stoppeople from attempting to intimidate, threatenor harm child victims and witnesses. People areintimidated when they are fearful that someonemay force them to do or say something againsttheir will. They may be threatened by someonewho tells them something bad will happen ifthey refuse to do what the person says. If thereis any possibility that a child victim or witnessmay be intimidated, threatened or harmed, stepsmust be taken to make sure that the child iskept safe.

Here are some steps that can be taken to keepchild victims and witnesses safe:

• Make sure that the child does not have tomeet the person accused of breaking the law,except when absolutely necessary;

19

• Make sure that anyone who may harm thechild is forced to stay away from the child bycourt papers called “restraining orders.” Thename of the person who is required to stayaway should also be put on an official list sothat police officers and everyone else in thejustice process know that the court has orderedthat person to stay away from the child;

• If the person accused is threatening thechild then they should be kept in jail until thetrial begins or kept away from the childthrough special “no contact” bail conditions.Bail is an amount of money that the accusedmust pay to stay out of jail before and duringthe trial. When the accused appears for thetrial, this money is returned. But if the accuseddoes not appear for the trial, then the courtkeeps the money. A “no contact” bail meansthat the person accused is allowed to stay outof jail only by paying the bail money AND onthe condition that the accused has no contactwith the child victim or witness. Someoneaccused of a crime is not always allowed tostay out of jail on bail, especially if the crimehe or she is accused of is very serious;

• Another step that can be taken to protectthe child is to place the accused person underhouse arrest. House arrest means that theaccused is not allowed to leave his or herhouse until the trial;

• Police and other protection officials oragencies can be asked to protect the childvictim or witness whenever necessary;

• Another important way to protect childvictims and witnesses is to keep them in a safeplace and to keep that place a secret.

21

People involved in the justice process—such as police-men or judges—shall do their best to protect you,if necessary.

Judges may forbid people who may harm you fromapproaching you. If you see someone you know isforbidden to meet you, then report this immediatelyto someone involved in the justice process. He orshe will protect you and make sure that this personstays away in the future.

If you feel you may be in danger, then tell some-one involved in the justice process you trust. He or she will do his or her best to protect you, orwill reassure you if there is no threat.

You have the right to reparation. This meansyou have a right to receive compensation tohelp make up for being hurt, to help yourecover.

1. Child victims should, whenever possible,receive reparation to help them recover fromthe harm they have suffered. Reparation is an official recognition of the harm that childvictims have suffered. Reparation helps childvictims recover their health and well-being. It can also help children to start a new life.Steps should be taken to make sure that child victims are able to apply for and receivereparation.

2. Whenever possible, the decision to providereparation should happen at the time of thetrial, as long as the child is protected and hisor her needs and views are considered. Othertypes of informal and community justiceprocedures, such as restorative justice, shouldbe encouraged. Restorative justice focuses onrepairing the harm caused by a criminal actand not on punishment.

What is reparation?

Reparation is given to repair a wrong andto help people recover. Reparation can be

given as money or as medical care or other healthand social support. When people show respect forthe victim and recognize the harm that wassuffered, this is also a form of reparation.

3. Reparation can come from different placesand in different ways. The person who has been found guilty of breaking the law can berequired to provide reparation to the victim.Reparation can also come from the governmentthrough programmes that help victims of crime.Whenever possible, reparation should pay forthe cost of social reintegration, medical treat-ment, mental health care and legal services.Rules should be in place to make sure thatvictims receive reparation.

23

If you suffered as a result of a crime, because you or your loved ones were harmed, then judgesmay decide, if possible, to grant you reparation to help you to recover. The reparation can be, forexample, an amount of money, medical care orsocial support.

You have the right to special preventivemeasures. This means you have a right to beprotected from further harm.

1. Rules exist to protect the rights of allchildren and to prevent them from being hurtand from suffering any harm. But adults shouldtake extra steps to make sure child victims andwitnesses are protected.

2. When there is a risk that a child victim may be harmed, special actions need to betaken to protect the child. Specific actions willbe needed to protect children who have beenhurt in their homes, children who have beenused for sex, children who have suffered harmwhile living in institutions and children whohave been moved from one country to anotherfor purposes of work, sex or other abuse.

People will also try to make sure that,after the justice process, crimes never

happen again. In particular, if you were avictim of a crime—which means that you weredirectly harmed—people will take specific measuresto ensure that what happened to you will nothappen again.

How your rights become real in your daily life

1. Professionalsworking with child victimsand witnesses should betrained in how to protect andmeet the needs of child victimsand witnesses. They should beprovided with all the latest information andtraining so that they can continuously improvetheir work.

2. Professionals should receive training:

• To learn about human rights, especially therights of the child. This includes the under-standing that child victims and witnesses arenot all the same and have different needs;

• To learn the correct way to behave whenworking with children and how to explain theirwork to children;

• To recognize when a child is in danger or has suffered harm by identifying marks orinjuries or by noticing the way a child isbehaving, that may reveal the child has beenhurt or is threatened;

25

• To know when to take immediate action to help a child, and where to take the child forhelp, always making sure the child’s privacy is protected;

• To learn how to speak to children of allages so that children feel comfortable andunderstand what is going on. This includeslistening to children and helping to reassurethem if they are confused or afraid;

• To learn ways of questioning children thatwill not frighten or harm them but will help toreveal the truth;

• To learn about the different roles and jobsof professionals working with child victims andwitnesses;

• Professionals should make every effort towork together, each contributing what they canto make sure that child victims and witnessesreceive the best possible care and protection. It may be necessary to create rules to makesure everyone does job their well;

• All countries should share important infor-mation and work together to find out about,investigate and take legal action against adultswho travel to different countries to harmchildren;

• Professionals should use these guidelines todevelop laws and other rules to help child victimsand witnesses involved in the justice process;

• Professionals should think about whetherthe job they are doing is really helping childrenand whether other agencies in the justiceprocess are also doing their jobs well. Theyshould always ask themselves how they can do a better job to protect child victims andwitnesses so that these guidelines can make a real difference in the lives of all children.

27Participation in the justice process should not befrightening.

The United Nations Guidelines on justice in mattersinvolving child victims and witnesses of crime are here to help make sure that you receive all the help and protection you may need during this process.

Words you may not understand

(the) Accused: When there are strong reasonsto believe that someone

has broken the law, thatperson is called the accused.The court decides whether

the accused actually broke thelaw and, if so, what steps can be taken to repairthe harm caused and prevent further harm.

Alleged perpetrator: The person who isaccused of having committed a crime.

Best interests of the child: Anything anyonedoes that affects children should be good forthem and help to fulfill their hopes and dreamsfor the future. When adults make decisions theyshould think about how their decisions will affectchildren. This includes making sure children areprotected from violence, abuse and neglectfrom the moment they are born. It also includesmaking sure children are properly cared for andthat they have clean water, nutritious food, aclean environment, and are supported so thatthey can be healthy and feel good as they grow into adults. When a child becomes in-volved in a court of law as a victim or witness,the child’s interests should come first. In all

cases when children are involved, they shouldbe protected from further harm and helped toparticipate so that their opinions and views willbe considered and respected.

Child: A child is any person below 18 years of age.

Convention on the Rights of the Child:A convention is an agreement between countries.Conventions are sometimes called treaties orcovenants or international agreements or legalinstruments. The Convention on the Rights ofthe Child recognizes the rights of all children.These rights are intended to make sure thatchildren have what they need to grow, developand learn in safety and in good health and tobecome full members of their community. Bysigning the Convention on the Rights of theChild, countries make a promise to treat allchildren everywhere with respect and to protecttheir rights. The Convention is the most widelyaccepted human rights treaty in history andhas been approved or “ratified” by everycountry in the world except two.

Child victim: Someone under the age of 18 whohas suffered harm when the law was broken. Allchildren have the same rights to be protected,no matter what role they may have had in thecrime or in the trial of the accused.

29

Child witness: Someone under the age of 18who saw or heard what happened or knowssomething that can help to explain the truthabout what happened when the law wasbroken.

Compensation: Money or something else thatis given to someone to make up for harm thatthey have suffered.

Court of law: When someone is accused ofbreaking the law, that person is brought to aspecial place called a court of law and mustexplain what happened. Others will also beasked to come and tell their version of thestory. The people of the court will listen toeveryone, make clear what the law says, andthen decide if the law was broken and what todo about it.

Crime: A crime is committed when someonebreaks the law.

Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice forVictims of Crime and Abuse of Power: ThisDeclaration was adopted in 1985 by the UnitedNations to protect the rights of all people whohave been victims of crime and who have beenharmed by people who have broken the law.The Declaration says that countries shouldmake sure all victims of crime are treated fairly

and get the help they need to heal and recoverfrom the harm they have suffered.

Discrimination: Everyone in the world looksdifferent and has different ideas and traditions.When people are not treated fairly because ofthese differences, they experience discrimination.It is important that people’s differences arealways respected. This is true for boys andgirls, no matter who they are, where they live,what their parents do, what language theyspeak, what their religion is, what they think orsay, what their sexual orientation is, or whetherthey are rich or poor.

Evidence: Information or objects that are usedto help prove the guilt or innocence of someoneaccused of a crime.

Guardian or legal guardian: An adult who isresponsible for the care and well-being of achild when the child does not have parents.

Guilty: When someone breaks the law, thatperson is guilty of the crime.

Hearings: The session during which the accused,victims and witnesses tell their story as theyremember it. During a hearing, witnesses arequestioned about what happened and asked toexplain what they saw and what they did.

31

Innocent: Someone who has not broken the lawis innocent of the crime.

Interview: A meeting between at least twopeople, where one person asks the other personquestions.

Investigate: To look carefully at all the facts in order to find out what happened and whyand who is responsible. Specially trained peopleinvestigate crimes by asking questions andlooking for clues and evidence.

Judge: The person who makes sure that the lawis respected, and the truth is made clear, andthat everyone follows the rules in court.

Jury: The people who listen to everything thattakes place in a court of law and then decide ifthe law was broken and who is responsible.

Justice or justice process: Justice is fairnessfor all. The justice process includes manypeople working together to uphold fairness,while respecting the equal rights of all people.

Law: Laws are rules that everyone has to followso that people can respect each other, respectthe equal rights of all and live together safely.There are many different kinds of laws.Together they help people do what is right.

Lawyer (counsel): A lawyer—or a counsel—is a person who helps someone in the justicesystem and makes sure that the justice processis fair and follows the law. The person who isaccused is helped by lawyers who are called the “defence counsel”. Victims may also, insome cases, be helped by a lawyer. If you arehelped by a lawyer, he or she is the one mostconcerned about your protection and therespect of your rights. If there is something you don’t understand or if you feel thatsomething is going wrong, you can speak toyour lawyer who will explain what happens and do what is possible to help. If you tell yourlawyer something then he or she must keepwhat you say secret and must not repeat it toanybody, not even to your parents, withoutyour permission.

Legal process or action: Acts that help toensure respect for the law.

Media: People who provide information to thepublic through their work in television or radioor with newspapers, magazines or the Internet.The media report on what happens in theircommunities and in the rest of the world.

Mental health care: Care and support providedto people who are very upset or harmed bywhat they have experienced.

33

Migrant: Someone who has moved from oneplace to another. Often this is in search of workand a better life.

Participate: To participate means to take partin something, to join in and be heard.

Psychological and other services: Care andsupport provided to help people who are upsetor need special attention to recover from whatthey have experienced.

Professional: A person who has special trainingto do their job, such as a lawyer, health workeror teacher.

Prosecutor: A prosecutor is the person incharge of presenting evidence that the law hasbeen broken and that the accused is the personresponsible. During the justice process, he orshe is opposed to the defence lawyer, who is incharge of presenting evidence that the law wasnot broken or that the accused is not respon-sible. He or she represents society in a court.

Reparation: Compensation given to a personwho was harmed to help them recover.

Refugee: Someone who has left his or hercountry in search of safety. A refugee may besomeone who is escaping from people who do

not respect his or her rights during a time ofhardship or war.

Restraining order: When the court gives anorder to someone to stay away from anotherperson or place.

Rights or human rights: Every child has equal“rights” before the law. These rights are statedin the United Nations Convention on the Rightsof the Child. They include the right to be aliveand to be respected as a human being; theright to survive; the right to health care; theright to go to school; the right to be protectedfrom violence, abuse and exploitation; the rightto a live in a family or with family care; theright to say what you think freely; and the rightto join fully in family, cultural and social life. Allchildren have the same rights no matter wherethey live.

Sexual assault or abuse: Child sexual assaulthappens when someone forces a child orconvinces the child to take part in sexual acts.Child sexual assault includes touching thechild’s body in a way that makes the child feeluncomfortable or harmed. Strangers aren’t theonly people who sexually assault children.Children may be sexually assaulted or touchedin a wrong way by people they know and trustor by someone related to them.

35

Social reintegration: When someone returns totheir home or community after hardship.

Trial: When someone is accused of committinga crime, the court meets to look at whathappened and to hear all the evidence. Thenthe people of the court decide if the law wasbroken and what should be done to repair thewrong. This process is called a trial.

United Nations (U.N.): The United Nations isan organization formed by the governments of191 member countries working together to bringpeace and justice into the world. The UnitedNations was created in 1945 to prevent futurewars, to protect human rights and to provide aplace for all the countries in the world to cometogether and discuss important questions andproblems that affect everyone.

d

tr

9

i

jw

oM

3

;

k

Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 500, 1400 Vienna, Austria Tel: (+43-1) 26060-0, Fax: (+43-1) 26060-5866, www.unodc.org

Printed in Austria V.06-56755—December 2006