Moldovan prosecutors and judges upgrade their skills at OSCE-led workshop in investigating cybercrimes
Sixty-five prosecutors and judges improved their skills in investigating and prosecuting cybercrimes that target children during two workshops held in Vadul-lui-Voda, Moldova from 9 to 12 October 2018. The workshops were organized by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in partnership with the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the US Embassy in Moldova.
Participants were familiarized with the national and international legal norms on investigating and prosecuting cases involving online child abuse and child pornography as well as manipulation techniques used by offenders such as cyberbullying, sexting and online grooming (luring children into conducting illegal activities).
A special session of the workshop was devoted to the best practices of child interviewing techniques led by a professional phycologist. During the session, participants were sensitized to the specifics of children’s behaviour online, the psychological profile of online abuse victims, as well as behavioural disorders of potential abusers. It was highlighted that prosecutors and judges must be aware that child victims of online abuse may offer confusing testimonies due to the trauma they have experienced.
“The Internet is an unavoidable part of modern life, presenting implications for children as both victims and offenders of cybercrime. Therefore this topic is of high interest to prosecutors and judges in Moldova,” said Boris Talpa, a judge and a training co-ordinator at the NIJ. “The participants truly appreciated the practical sessions of the workshop and noted that a simulation exercise on investigating cybercrimes could be a theme of a potential summer school for judges and prosecutors.”
The workshop is part of a series of similar educational activities organized by the OSCE Mission to Moldova in co-operation with NIJ under the Mission’s human rights programme. The programme‘s goals is to provide advice and expertise on human and minority rights and democratic transformation in Moldova.