In September, Association of Prosecutors started with the implementation of new project „Handling family violence cases I“, in cooperation with Counseling against Family Violence. Project is supported by USAID project for Judical Reform & Goverment Accountability (JRGA).
Association of prosecutors signed agreement in June 2014. and became partner of this project until end of the project. Agreement with JRGA project predicts that JRGA will support activities and efforts of Association of Prosecutors in area of better protection family violence victims.
Duration of the project: 6 monhts (September – February 2015.)
During the previous implementation of Association projects which were supported by JRGA project, Association of prosecutors organized activities of building capacites (training for all relevant subjects, representatives of judiciary, police, Centres for social work; and developed methodology for dealing and combating family violence cases) and transfer of the experiences from „Zrenjanin model“ in other cities, with support of local prosecutors.
All taken steps leaded to further building and development of efficent system of creating networks between competent local istitutions in dealing with family violence cases, in order to ensure best protection for family violence victims in short terms and on adequate way.
Initial meeting in Valjevo, which announced the begining of the first project in cooperation with JRGA project and Association of prosecutors, resulted in signing the protocol between all relevant subjects in Lajkovac.
Protocol signed in Lajkovac represent the first protocol which included all local institutions which are dealing against family violence cases and served as a model for all protocols which were signed later.
The curent project is based on further implementation and development of „Zrenjanin model“, of cooperation between prosecution offices, courts, Centers for social work, police, lawyers and local NGOs. Project should strenghtned the cooperation and network creation between competent institutions and enchance posibilty that family violence victims will be protect on best way.
Projest should give posibillity to Municipalities and towns which were not included until now in the implementation of the project to gain knowledges, implement and develop program of protection family violence victims, as well as give chance to Municipalites which were included in previous phases of the project to further develop protection and cooperation of all competent subjects.
Organizations of bilateral meetings, promotion and advocating of further implementation and development of „Zrenjanin model“, as well as transfer of gathered knowledge and examples of best practices, as well as signing of cooperation protocols will result in better coordination and efficent work of all compentent Public institutions.
Lawyers which are included in Counseling against family violence network in order to help family violence victims will be also included in the project, in order to become more trained and prepared for family violence cases. In the end, competent subjects will continue to strenghted awareness of wider public regarding family violence with public advocacy, interviews and TV debates, which will be held during project.
Partner of the Association in implementation of the project is Counseling against Family violence.
The goal of Counseling against family violence is to ensure protection to the family violence victims. Counseling was established in 1996, and through the Safe houses in previous years passed large number of family violence victims, including women and children. Counseling and Association have developed cooperation.
The general goal of the project is continuation of development and further implementation of „Zrenjanin model“ for dealing with family violence, which establish itself as adequate network and good indicator of judiciary reaction on family violence..
Specific goals of the projects are:
• Initiation of creation and development inter institutional network of cooperation between police, public prosecution, misdemenour judges, judges, lawyers, social services and local NGOs in order to develop regular cooperation in family violence cases and development of the conditions for ensuring law protection in municipalites of Kragujevac, Valjevo, Vranje, Kraljevo and Nis:
• Establishment of regular coordination meetings of all relevant subjects in this areas;
• Initiation of lawyers inclusion in inter institutional models of cooperation;
• Securing of best practice implementation and learned leasons from areas which already had contact and worked with family violence cases;
• Networking in dealing with family violence cases, members of the judiciary, lawyers specialized for work with family violence victims, police and social centers.