AMBASSADOR JEFF DAIGLE’S REMARKS
INAUGURATION OF HEARING ROOM FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT VICTIMS OF ASSAULT AND SEXUAL ABUSE
Judicial Police in Cidadela, Praia Cabo Verde
May 5, 2023
Madam Minister of Justice,
Madam National Director of the Judiciary Police,
Dear Partners,
Dear Guests,
Good morning!
In November 2020, with many of you, we launched the Child-Friendly Justice project, implemented by ACRIDES and funded by the U.S. government. A little over a week ago, with the Minister of Justice and other partners, we inaugurated the hearing room for child victims of assault and sexual abuse in Boa Vista. Today, we celebrate not only the inauguration of the Praia hearing room, but the successful completion of the hard work, commitment, and delivery by ACRIDES, the Ministry of Justice, and all the partners represented here. We proudly celebrate the partnership between the U. S. government and the government and civil society of Cabo Verde in defending the rights of children.
The project ends on May 15, but I know the work will continue. With ACRIDES, the Ministry of Justice, ICCA, and many others, this project laid the groundwork for a more child-friendly justice with the establishment of hearing rooms in Praia, Boa Vista, Sal, and São Vicente, with strong campaigns raising awareness at the central and local levels and training for teams that provide care for children. The project also helped encourage important legal reforms that protect children and adolescents in danger. I am confident that this very important work and your dedication to the cause of defending children’s rights will continue beyond the project, contributing to an increasingly just society.
The implementation of the project and the results we celebrate today are proof of our shared values. I thank you all, but allow me to recognize in particular the efforts of Mrs. Lourença Tavares and Minister Joana Rosa.
It was an honor for me and the U.S. Embassy to contribute to a more child-friendly justice system in Cabo Verde!
Thank you all!
