A new, fully equipped child and victim-centred interview room was opened today at the Sector for Internal Affairs in Strumica, giving children and victims a safer and more supportive space.
"The quality of an institution is measured not only by its legal powers, but also by the way it protects the most vulnerable. It is our duty to ensure that every child, whether a victim, witness or person in conflict with the law, is treated with respect and with full protection of their rights," Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski stressed.
The room is the second facility of this kind supported through the joint efforts of Sweden, the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
"This is about making sure that people who have already experienced harm are treated with care, dignity and respect," said Ambassador Kilian Wahl, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje.
"It is not just about a new room. Fundamentally, and more importantly, it is about a new standard of working, and a firm commitment to protect the dignity, safety, and rights of vulnerable victims, especially youth and women," said Sweden's Ambassador Ola Sohlström.
The refurbishment was carried out by the OSCE and the Swedish Support to Police Reform in North Macedonia Project, implemented by the Swedish Police Authority.
