Training Session for Congolese Police Force in Child Protection

A training session for Congolese Special Police for Protection of Women and Children is being held from February 9, to February 19, 2010 by MONUC's (the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the DRC) Police component in Kananga in collaboration with UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund).

Seventy members of the Special Police are attending the training which will help them to better cope with the difficult challenges arising from the work of protecting women and children.

As a response to the requirement of the new law on Women and Children Protection adopted in 2009, the training's objective is to enhance participants' skills with respect to basic requirements of the justice system regarding minors as well as mediation skills relevant to the organization of juvenile courts.

Besides operational capacity-building for senior members and staff of the Special Police, the training also focuses on how to carry out command procedures and draft minutes of proceedings in cases involving minors.

MONUC believes training in child protection is highly important in light of the increasing number of children thrown onto the streets over allegations that they are witches and those that are sexually abused and badly exploited when doing household jobs.

The Special Police for the Protection of Women and Children (PSPFE, according to its name in French), was created to provide legal protection for children, to promote and defend women's and children's rights, to combat sexual violence and all forms of violence against women and children as well as to prevent HIV/AIDs. The Special Police is currently understaffed and made up of four operational cells in areas with the highest number of sexual violence and violations of children's rights: 8 in Kananga, and 3 in each Tshikapa, Luiza and Masuika, respectively. After the training session, more cells will be opened at Ilebo, Dimbelenge, and later on in Kamako and Nsumbula.

This training follows two training sessions held for female police officers: one on sexual violence with 130 attendees organized from September 28th – 30th and one for police specializing in judiciary affairs with 59 attendees from December 3rd to December 22nd 2009.