Protection of child victims in criminal investigations and proceedings
Article 20
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that in criminal investigations and proceedings, in accordance with the role of victims in the relevant justice system, competent authorities appoint a special representative for the child victim where, under national law, the holders of parental responsibility are precluded from representing the child as a result of a conflict of interest between them and the child victim, or where the child is unaccompanied or separated from the family. 2. Member States shall ensure that child victims have, without delay, access to legal counselling and, in accordance with the role of victims in the relevant justice system, to legal representation, including for the purpose of claiming compensation. Legal counselling and legal representation shall be free of charge where the victim does not have sufficient financial resources. 3. Without prejudice to the rights of the defence, Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that in criminal investigations relating to any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 7: (a) interviews with the child victim take place without unjustified delay after the facts have been reported to the competent authorities; (b) interviews with the child victim take place, where necessary, in premises designed or adapted for this purpose; (c) interviews with the child victim are carried out by or through professionals trained for this purpose; (d) the same persons, if possible and where appropriate, conduct all interviews with the child victim; (e) the number of interviews is as limited as possible and interviews are carried out only where strictly necessary for the purpose of criminal investigations and proceedings; (f) the child victim may be accompanied by his or her legal representative or, where appropriate, by an adult of his or her choice, unless a reasoned decision has been made to the contrary in respect of that person. 4. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that in criminal investigations of any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 7 all interviews with the child victim or, where appropriate, with a child witness, may be audio-visually recorded and that such audio-visually recorded interviews may be used as evidence in criminal court proceedings, in accordance with the rules under their national law. 5. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that in criminal court proceedings relating to any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 7, that it may be ordered that: (a) the hearing take place without the presence of the public; (b) the child victim be heard in the courtroom without being present, in particular through the use of appropriate communication technologies. 6. Member States shall take the necessary measures, where in the interest of child victims and taking into account other overriding interests, to protect the privacy, identity and image of child victims, and to prevent the public dissemination of any information that could lead to their identification.