Establishing a Family Justice Center in Moldova

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The U.S. Embassy in Chisinau has supported numerous projects for several years to address domestic and gender-based violence. For example, local nongovernmental organizations received grants from INL to provide training for police officers, prosecutors, and judges on processing criminal cases and better assisting victims. The U.S. Embassy also organized public outreach campaigns to raise awareness about domestic and gender-based violence. To support further progress in Moldova, the U.S. Department of State has allocated $800,000 USD in FY 2017 Rule of Law Funds for a project to establish a Family Justice Center in Moldova. A Family Justice Center (FJC) is a non-residential specialized facility which co-locates inter-disciplinary services in one location for survivors of violence, trauma, and abuse. The United States Department of Justice has recognized Family Justice Centers as a best practice in meeting the needs of domestic violence and sexual assault victims. Congress recognized the importance of the Family Justice Center model by creating a “purpose area” for Family Justice Centers in the Violence against Women Act in 2005. Family Justice Centers now exist in 40 states in the U.S. and in more than 20 countries around the world. The Government of Moldova expressed interest in further cooperation on the development of a pilot Family Justice Center in Moldova.

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