Minister Prioritises Regional Barnahus Centres to Support Child Abuse Victims

The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs prioritised the establishment of regional centres for supporting children who may have suffered sexual abuse, in a way that would avoid retraumatisation, while accessing care or health services and engaging with the criminal justice system. Reports that have examined the issue conclude that a national model for services for children who may have experienced sexual abuse should incorporate all resources currently applied to sexual abuse services into a coordinated service, providing standardised models of best practice with national, multiagency oversight. Barnahus was subsequently selected as a model of practice that constitutes a child-friendly space in which agencies work together to achieve best practice for children who may have been exposed to violence or abuse. Key components of the Barnahus model are child protection services, forensic medical services, specialist interviewing according to evidence-based protocols and therapeutic services.