United Nations Police (UNPOL) officers serving with UNMISS recently trained their counterparts from the South Sudan Police Service in Juba on interviewing minors who have survived sexual or gender-based violence while being sensitive to their psycho-social needs.

“Allowing a guardian to be present during interviews, showing empathy and respect, remaining patient and giving time for answering questions while showing interest in the child’s story are some talking techniques that I have learned to use while speaking with an underage survivor of sexual abuse,” says First Lieutenant Amule Moses from the Specialized Police Protection Unit.

Lieutenant Moses is one of the 22 South Sudanese police officers dealing with such issues in the country’s capital, Juba, and participated in the five-day workshop organized by UNPOL on accurately investigating minors under their custody.

The workshop gave participants a thorough understanding of the 2008 Child Act; the six golden rules or core guidelines for interviewing a child and how to obtain accurate information on matters related to sexual offences.

Other topics covered included proper crime scene management and investigation; evidence storage plus legal frameworks governing instances of sexual violence.

First Lieutenant Mary Pita Gore from the South Sudan Crime investigation Department said that the in-depth course will help her keep the best interests of any child at the heart of every investigation involving underage sexual abuse.

“The only way to get facts from a child who has been raped is to make her feel protected in a friendly environment when the interview is taking place,” stated Lieutenant Gore, who was one of the eight female participants in the training. “Moreover, I’ve learned that before we, as police officers take any decisions, it is advisable for us to determine if the child is mentally fit and above 12 years old.”

For their part, UNPOL officers decided to deliver this timely training after discovering during their regular visits to local police stations that reports about sexual abuse filed by women or minors are often ignored or disbelieved.

 “By building the capacity of our national counterparts, we are helping them respond to and prevent violence against women and girls,” states Police Adviser Agnes Robert.