ODPP Children’s Division Spearheads Setting Up Of Child-Friendly Interview Rooms In 6 counties

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 21- The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP’s) children’s division has spearheaded the setting up of child-friendly interview rooms in 6 counties across Kenya.

This ODPP said the move is meant to make it easier to deal with children in conflict or in contact with the law.

In December 2021, the ODPP launched guidelines to ensure uniformity and speed in handling criminal cases involving children across the country and also ensure that their rights are protected.

The guide, according to the DPP Noordin Haji, was developed as a result of the realization that the child cases were generally complex and sensitive in nature, and it was necessary to minimize the risk of discrimination and undue stress for children in the criminal justice system.

The ODPP has so far developed over eight key different policy documents to ensure the just and expeditious disposal of criminal cases.

Last year, Haji launched the Prosecutors’ Guide to Children in the Criminal Justice System and also the Diploma in Public Prosecutions course at the Prosecution Training Institute (PTI) in Loresho, Nairobi.

As a result, the ODPP has set up the Child Justice Unit within the Children’s Division which is made up of prosecutors from different counties and also child-friendly interview rooms in 7 counties.

The rooms will be equipped with video conferencing equipment to allow remote interviewing and court sessions hence minimizing secondary victimization.

Also to be set up, he said then, are the six child-friendly rooms to assist prosecutors to prepare the children prior to the trial and to prevent secondary victimization of those children.

The childrens unit is made up of prosecutors from different counties.