The Position of Juvenile Victims and Witnesses in Criminal Proceedings: Where are We now and What is Next

Stevanović, Ivana and Marković, Ljubinka (2024) The Position of Juvenile Victims and Witnesses in Criminal Proceedings: Where are We now and What is Next. In: International scientific thematic conference The Position of Victims in the Republic of Serbia, Palić, 12-13 June 2024. Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research, Belgrade, pp. 165-182. ISBN 978-86-80756-66-0

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Abstract

In this paper, the authors analyze the position of juveniles who are victims and witnesses in criminal proceedings in the Republic of Serbia and the compliance of the national legislative framework with international and European standards regarding the rights, support and protection of juveniles as particularly vulnerable victims and witnesses. Emphasizing the importance of defining a strategic framework and the necessity of improving the normative framework, the authors insist that the greatest challenge in this field will be establishing a network of Victim and Witness Support Services at the national level and, in order to achieve this, a precise plan for gradually enhancing the availability of the network is essential, both in terms of geographical coverage and diversity of available services, with a clearly dened development timeline. They also indicate that without dedicated rooms featuring audio and visual transmission devices, it is impossible to prevent secondary victimization of minors during their testimonies in criminal proceedings. Furthermore, continuous specialized training and education for all participants in the process are crucial.

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