Government officials, police, prosecutors and partner NGOs united at an event organised by Hope for Justice to prioritise the safety of child trafficking survivors within the criminal justice system.
Children who have been exploited are often called upon as witnesses in trafficking cases. They may also be wrongly accused of crimes that they were forced to commit under duress while they were in exploitation. Hope for Justice believes it is vital that the voices and safety of boys and girls are prioritised as they engage with the criminal justice system.
This is why our team in Ethiopia coordinated a lobby and advocacy event, featuring keynote speeches and panel discussions with law enforcement bodies, and centred on the theme ‘Justice without re-traumatisation’.
Sosina Yirga, Hope for Justice’s Ethiopia Country Director, said: “Justice is a core component of restorative services for child survivors of human trafficking. This event was of critical importance in advancing child justice in a way that prevents re-traumatisation. We stressed the necessity of putting the voices, safety, and wellbeing of child survivors at the centre of every stage of legal proceedings – from police investigations to prosecutions, and court processes. We’re pleased to see the collaborative efforts that are under way to prevent violence and to provide a more effective response to the legal needs of children who have been exploited. This event served as a key platform for these priorities, leveraging panel discussions with law enforcement bodies to drive meaningful advocacy and systemic change.”
More than 40 people attended the event, including the Ethiopian Government’s Head of Women, Children and Social Affairs, police investigators, public prosecutors, the Director for Ethiopia’s Federal Child Justice Project (CJPO), the Mental Health Court Bench judge, and partner NGOs.
Hope for Justice plays an important role in Ethiopia in bridging the gaps between police, prosecutors, social services and courts, to strengthen criminal cases against suspected perpetrators, whilst also safeguarding children, supporting their wellbeing, giving them dignity, and prioritising their consent and choices.
Our team advocates for the safety of child trafficking survivors within Ethiopia’s justice system. We work to ensure that evidence collection is child-sensitive, that courtroom procedures are trauma-informed, and that there is collaboration between law enforcement and legal bodies in their efforts to promote survivor safety. We are also working to achieve positive case outcomes, whilst recognising that justice is measured through holistic wellbeing indicators not merely conviction rates.
Zewdinesh Zegeye, our Legal Officer, presented one of Hope for Justice’s roles in advocating for child legal justice, through direct case intervention. Zewdinesh has managed 45 complex legal cases involving child trafficking survivors from Deborah Lighthouse – one of our short-term aftercare centres. Of those 45 cases, there were 26 instances of sexual abuse, eight involving labour exploitation, eight of physical abuse, as well as trafficking cases, wage denial and neglect. A total of six cases resulted in perpetrators being convicted of sexual and/or physical abuse. Zewdinesh also spoke about the court’s use of methods such as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to efficiently resolve cases such as neglect. However, challenges remain, with 19 of the cases being withdrawn due to various systemic problems and barriers for survivors.
Meskerem Ayele, one of Hope for Justice’s social workers, also shared a legal case study at the event, showing how specialised legal support services – including safe evidence collection, trauma-informed case preparation, and coordinated referral, directly protect survivors of child trafficking and modern slavery from re-trafficking.
A panel discussion resulted in shared commitments from law enforcement and judicial bodies to apply trauma-informed procedures. They also pledged to improve inter-agency collaboration and to measure justice beyond conviction rates.
One of the panellists, Andualem Tafesse, from the Child Right Protection Directorate at the Bureau of Women and Social Affairs, analysed the broader legal system and framework, looking at how to strengthen the Child Protection System to address the vulnerability and exploitation of Child Domestic Workers (CDWs).
Meanwhile, Judge Leuleselassie Liben from the Federal First Instance Court provided a judicial perspective on how traditional justice processes can harm survivors. He defined the practical requirements for implementing a trauma-informed approach.
Following the panel discussion, one participant said: “When discussing comprehensive child rights protection, we underscored that the best interest of the child must be a paramount consideration within the justice administration system. To protect children vulnerable to various forms of abuse, we called for a coordinated approach involving families, communities, civil society, police, prosecutors, and courts.”
Tekle Bezabih, Head of the Bureau of Justice in Addis Ababa City Administration, spoke at the event, explaining that the justice transformation plans being implemented are fundamentally centred on children’s rights. He said they are being structured to be inclusive and child-centred. He also informed the gathering that institutional, legal and procedural frameworks are being established to ensure the sustainability of these efforts.
Hope for Justice will continue working to ensure child trafficking survivors are supported within the justice system, as well as supporting law enforcement in their efforts to prosecute perpetrators. We will also continue to strengthen accountability, and ensure that justice outcomes contribute to the long-term protection and recovery of children who have been exploited.
