Ms. Racu’s professional background comprises over 22 years of working experience in the field of torture prevention, prison reform, alternatives to detention, juvenile justice and gender-based and domestic violence. She has expertise and relevant practical experience in the field of national, European and international human rights protection mechanisms.
As a consultant of the Council of Europe, she has conducted dozens of trainings with various public officials on torture prevention and human rights, implementation of probation programs and Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) standards. As a CPT expert she has contributed to monitoring and improving the rights of detainees and persons in closed institutions in several Council of Europe Member States.
In addition, in Moldova she has carried out several successful initiatives for women in detention such as improved material conditions in female prisons, provided for medical equipment and hygiene products, carried out trainings and advocacy activities on specific gender-based issues, including promoting legislation on prevention of gender-based and domestic violence, ratification of the Istanbul Convention and amendments to the Enforcement code in order to ensure that national legislation complies with the CPT standards. She is a person who inspires and brings light into dark spaces, figuratively and literally. After visiting places of detention with bad conditions, to get motivation, she used to sing from the Edith Piaf repertoire, especially "La vie en rose".
The project “75 women in 75 years of Council of Europe history” is organised by the Delegation of the European Union to the Council of Europe with the Council of Europe and the Permanent Representations of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
