Training Practitioners for Better Cooperation: Professional Ethics and Initial Contact with Victims

1. JUSTICE BEFRIENDS THE CHILD – TRAINING OF PRACTITIONERS FOR BETTER COOPERATION “Professional Ethics and Initial Contact with Victims” ContractNo. JUST/2014/JACC/AG/VICT/7465 2016-2017

2. Professional Ethics – Basic Principles: 1. Respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms as provided for in international acts to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a State Party, in the Constitution, in national primary and secondary legislation; 2. Observance of professional standards; 3. Provision of equal access to support and justice – police bodies, health and social services, justice-administration bodies, etc.; 4. Protection against unlawful actions/ misconduct; 5. Timely course of action. - 2 -

3. Initial Contact with Victims • The reasons and hypotheses necessitating initial contact with (approaching) a victim of crime can be diverse and very case specific; • Sometimes it depends on the type of crime, the way it was committed, the specifics of the victim themselves such as age, health condition and emotional state, gender, etc. - 3 -

4. Principles Guiding the Initial Contact with Victims • Practice draws on three key principles in the course of approaching victims, which are guiding for the conduct of each practitioner, be they in the police or in the health or social services or another field. • These principles are derived from the victim’s needs. - 4 -

5. Victim’s Needs 1) Need for safety. 2) Need to express their emotions. 3) Need to know what comes next. NB!: In order to meet these needs, three types of support are provided during the initial contact with victims. - 5 -

6. Support to Victims during Initial Contact: • Support to guarantee safety during initial contact with the victim; • Emotional support; • Need to know what comes next; /Office for Victims of Crime - https://www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/reports/firstrep/bgavoc.html / - 6 -

7. Support and Treatment of Victims during Initial Contact: • Support to guarantee safety during initial contact with the victim – Pay close attention to your words, posture, mannerisms and gestures, facial expression, tone of voice, etc. • Introduce yourself; • Check on the health condition of the victim, etc. • Suggest they contact close relatives or friends or a doctor, or a psychologist to talk to, or a legal adviser or any other professional as the case might be; - 7 -

8. Support and Treatment of Victims during Initial Contact: • Emotional support – • Need to express their emotions and tell their story without being judged, blamed, mocked or ridiculed; • Watch for their reactions and behaviour in order to understand them; • Do not interrupt their story; ask open questions; • Check if you got them right; • Show concern and be patient with them; - 8 -

9. Support and Treatment of Victims during Initial Contact: • Need to know what comes next – fear of the unknown; • Inform them about their rights and the proceedings to come next; • Give them information on existing support resources and services; - 9 -

10. Professional Ethics when Interviewing Victims • The duration of the interview and the speed of interviewing should be aligned with the individual needs of the victim (vulnerable victim), the specialised interviewing methodology and the interviewing conditions; • The interviewing ethics is aligned with respect for the dignity and respect for the identity of the child (vulnerable victim). - 10 -

11. Professional Ethics when Interviewing Victims • Interviewing and hearing of victims are to be conducted in suitable premises adapted for interviewing purposes and corresponding to the needs of the victim, especially in case of vulnerable victims requiring special protection. • Interviewing is organised in such a way as to avoid contact between the victim and the offender. - 11 -