On March 20, 2024, APLE hosted the Annual Child-Friendly Room Monitoring Advocacy Meeting at the Battambang Commissariat, underscoring its commitment to advancing child protection in the context of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Supported by BfdW, this pivotal event addressed the critical need to create safe, supportive environments for child victims during police interviews?a growing concern given the rise in child exploitation cases.
This collaborative meeting, organized with the General Commissariat of National Police, brought together 25 specialized police officers, including 10 women, from Phnom Penh, Kandal, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Kampot, and Battambang. These officers, who are experts in Anti-Human Trafficking, Juvenile Protection, and Anti-Cybercrime, engaged in discussions aimed at improving their skills and knowledge on implementing child-friendly practices in the criminal justice system.
The primary objective of the meeting was to enhance child protection by equipping police officers with effective techniques for interviewing child victims. The event focused on adopting child-centered approaches to ensure victims’ safety and the efficient collection of evidence.
Key topics of the meeting included guidelines for utilizing child-friendly rooms, case studies illustrating the effectiveness of such practices in handling online and offline child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA/CSEA) cases, and discussions on best practices and areas needing improvement. Presentations on data from five police stations demonstrated the impact of these practices, while interactive sessions fostered a collaborative learning environment.
The testimonials shared by participants highlighted the profound impact of child-friendly practices. One officer noted, “The privacy and supportive environment of these rooms help children feel safe, allowing them to share information more freely.” These accounts emphasized how such practices build children’s confidence, reduce fear, and significantly improve their experience during interviews.
Among the key takeaways were the 85.7% improvement in the performance of child-friendly interview rooms, the commitment of 95.2% of police officers to share these practices with their colleagues, and a unified request for more training and resources. The meeting proposed actionable steps to build on these outcomes, including continued training based on the OCSEA manual, promoting child-centered approaches akin to one-stop service centers in Thailand and the Philippines, and encouraging consistent NGO support.
The Annual Child-Friendly Room Monitoring Advocacy Meeting marked a significant advancement in the effort to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. APLE’s dedication to creating protective, supportive environments for child victims was evident, as was the commitment to ongoing training and collaboration. Future initiatives will focus on extending these practices to front-line police officers at district and commune levels, ensuring widespread implementation of child-centered approaches.
This event demonstrated APLE’s steadfast commitment to enhancing child protection and paving the way for a future where the safety and well-being of child victims are prioritized in law enforcement efforts.
