UNICEF conducts webinar on legal aid to children suffering from violence, including human trafficking

The webinar became a regular event in a series of the planned online sessions in partnership with BNBA and was dedicated to the World Day against Trafficking in Persons marked on July 30.

Dmitry Lepretor, a lawyer of the legal advice office of Centralny district of Minsk, Minsk City Bar Association, became a webinar expert. He highlighted the issues of regulation of legal defence of children exposed to violence, the peculiarities of aid provision by a lawyer under this category of cases, and fixed on certain moments of protection of interests of the victim arising in practice. The lawyer emphasized that the law stipulates that legal aid related to social protection and rehabilitation offered to victims of human trafficking and, if they are under 14 years of age, to their legal representatives is provided from the republican budget resources. At the same time, according to the Law of the Republic of Belarus “About legal profession and lawyer activities in the Republic of Belarus,” legal aid to the minors in their interests and to their parents (foster parents, guardians) in the interests of children is provided free of charge at the expense of the Bar Association.  

Parents, representatives of educational establishments and legal community interested in the topic took part in the webinar (105 participants in total).

UNICEF focuses on the issues of legal support and defence of interests of the minors.  In partnership with BNBA online consulting on the issues stemming from marriage relations as well as on criminal and administrative liability was launched with the use of the Telegram chatbot @kids_lawyer_bot.

If a child suffers from bullying on the Internet or online violence (including human trafficking) specialists on kids.pomogut.by will provide consulting. Psychological aid is provided by telephone: 8 801 100 16 11 (24 hours) or 8 801 201 55 55 (8.00:20.00). It is safe, free of charge and anonymous.