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Need for a Truly Unified and Uniform Procedure
Although interagency arrangements are being forged with respect to the interview process involving the child victim, witness or alleged offender, each agency cannot totally forgo questioning the child as each agency's interview format, complaint sheets, and other documents have innate differences that arise from agency peculiarities. That is, the NBI would have a different format from that of the Police and even the DSWD and CHR may require additional information for their other programs such as financial assistance or the DSWD may apply different method of interviews for their psychosocial intervention.
The reports/statements of police officers or the procedures adopted in questioning children oftentimes lead to inconsistent testimonies given by said victims and witnesses before prosecutors and courts. Similarly important in the investigative and judicial processes are the reports of medical personnel who examine child victims.
A uniform and connected procedure from investigation to court trial including the preparation of a child to testify in court hearings is needed. Core of duty holders should also include a court-appointed guardian ad litem to provide support to the child and represent the child's rights during hearings, medico legal officers and other experts that will be consulted with respect to the psychological impact of the abuse on the child as well as the processes designed to address all aspects involved in responding to cases involving children.
Tasks
- Drafting and Adoption of a Uniform Reporting Format for all responding agencies.
- Conduct of special training programs involving doctors and health personnel on latest methodologies and standards on forensic investigation, and medical examination of child victims.
- Training of volunteer advocates which include exposure visits to precincts.
- Training of police officers and develop training modules/guidelines/procedures from reporting to recovery of child victims.
- Setting up of a room/facility in each relevant agency suited for interview of the child which enforces confidentiality and preserves the privacy of the child victim/survivor.
- Setting up a suitable room for proper storage and preservation of evidence.
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Defining Agency Jurisdiction and Coordinating Actions
As access to reporting child abuse broadens, responding within the Child Abuse Network should work towards a simplified one-step process. The broad network of agencies to respond to cases involving children should be able to classify agencies that can address first response, childcare, legal care, and monitoring of the child and the case. A single protocol for all these agencies should be adopted so that there will be a comprehensive and seamless web of appropriate responses with differentiated levels of intervention as required by the individual child and the child's case.
One Team, One Venue
Mainstreaming child rights issues and sensitizing each agency that could respond to child abuse cases is an initial step to raise the level of awareness about child abuse cases. To move beyond awareness towards a more concerted response to cases involving children, a multidisciplinary, interagency team must be instituted. This team should also converge in one venue for effective response and action.
There should be a body that will coordinate and monitor the provision of basic and specialized services to children who may be victims, witnesses or alleged offenders. Coordination by this body and its monitoring function necessarily includes the Family Courts for the status of cases.
Tasks
- Forge an improved and more efficient child protection response network reflecting the different jurisdictions of each agency.
- Clarify roles and responsibilities of each agency and organization involved in the child protection network.
- Establish a Pilot Program on Child Protection Office in specific regions to develop, test, and model best practices and coordinated action in responding to child victim, witness and offender with the inclusion of the Local Councils for the Protection of Child as Quick Reaction Teams.
- Map out organic changes in the child abuse network to create a responsive child protection team.
- Create an office/bureau under the DOJ to be called "Office of Juvenile Justice Administration or "Bureau of Juvenile Justice".
