Barnahus (Children’s House) as the model to provide comprehensive protection to child victims of sexual violence was discussed at a Conference co-organised by the Council of Europe and the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 in Madrid on 10 February 2023. This was the first awareness-raising activity organised in the framework the joint Council of Europe – European Union DG Reform project “Strengthening child-friendly justice through effective cooperation and coordination among different Barnahus-type services in the regions of Spain".
The Conference allowed for an exchange on Barnahus services among international, national and regional stakeholders working in Europe and in Spain to improve the response to child sexual violence. It was also an occasion to discuss the implementation of the Barnahus model in the different territories of the country.
Over 140 participants, including national and regional authorities and civil servants, the office of the Ombudsperson, civil society representatives and other children rights’ experts participated in conference and and more than 1,000 followed it online.
Ione Belarra, Minister of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, Sébastien Rénaud, Deputy Head of Unit, DG REFORM, European Commission and Regina Jensdóttir, the Council of Europe Coordinator for the Rights of the Child, delivered opening remarks followed by four panel discussions on the implementation of the Barnahus model in Europe, the development of child-friendly justice in Spain, the presentation of the joint project and the existing regional experiences of Barnahus services in Spain.
Prior to the Conference on 9 February 2023, the project held its first Advisory Group meeting which adopted the project's governance model and the Inception report.
Barnahus (Children's House) is the leading European response model for child sexual abuse that coordinates parallel criminal and child welfare investigations, brings all relevant services under one roof, and thus helps avoid revictimisation of the child.
The Barnahus model was first launched in Europe in Iceland in 1998. In 2015, the Council of Europe’s Committee of the Parties to the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual abuse (Lanzarote Committee) has recognised the model as a promising practice, and since then, the Council of Europe has been supporting its member states in adapting and using it. With the Council of Europe and EU support, the first Children’s House facility was opened in May 2022 in Slovenia. Similar joint projects in Finland and Ireland are ongoing.
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