Meeting with the Legal Aid Department reinforces a shared principle: seeking justice should never become a second source of harm for children

Children who have experienced sexual exploitation and abuse deserve a justice process that protects rather than re-traumatises them. APLE and the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia (BAKC) reinforced that commitment on Thursday, 20 August 2026, when APLE met with Attorney KE Chhardaphas, Director of BAKC’s Legal Aid Department, to discuss the Child-Friendly Lawyer Training Program and cooperation in providing legal assistance to child victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Lawyers trained in child-friendly practice are essential to that protection: without them, the pursuit of justice can become a second source of harm. The meeting focused on strengthening this standard of practice through the Child-Friendly Lawyer Training Program and continued cooperation between the two institutions.

Speaking on the importance of the partnership, Mr. Samleang Seila, APLE’s Executive Director, said: “Lawyers are frontline professionals protecting children throughout the justice process. They help ensure that seeking justice is accessible and victim-centred for every survivor.”

APLE extends its sincere thanks to BAKC, and particularly to Attorney KE Chhardaphas, for the meeting and for the Bar Association’s continued cooperation in providing legal assistance to children who have experienced sexual exploitation and abuse. APLE looks forward to continuing this partnership to help ensure that every child in Cambodia can access a justice process that protects rather than harms them.