UN Women supports more robust justice in addressing cases of sexual violence

Improving legislation on sexual violence and increasing victims’ access to justice is currently one of the most pressing and urgent issues in Georgia. To address this significant problem, UN Women strives towards various notable objectives, including the training of judges and court staff.

Between June and August 2022, UN Women, together with the Council of Europe and the international Equality Now organization, conducted three training sessions for instructors at the High School of Justice, as well as for judges and the court staff. The course aimed to broaden the knowledge and skills of the trainees on issues of justice in cases of sexual violence, so that they are better able to apply victim-centred and human rights-based approaches when carrying out their duties. In total, 40 participants were trained under the programme. Notably, seven trainers at the High School of Justice will independently continue to coach court personnel and judges after having completed the training.

The training module has been specifically tailored to representatives of the justice system. It covers such objectives as understanding sexual offences from a gender perspective in criminal law, in accordance with the Istanbul Convention and the standards set by the European Court of Human Rights; studying victim-centred strategies; recognizing and dispelling myths and stereotypes related to sexual violence; highlighting the importance of the revision of evidentiary standards and context-based assessments; and analysing the specific circumstances of people in vulnerable situations.

As highlighted by training participant Giorgi Keratishvili, a judge and a trainer at the High School of Justice, relevant points were raised during the seminar that offered comprehensive information for a broader understanding of the essence of rape cases to those working on such trials: “The main focus was placed on issues related to trial handling, which unconditionally require making respective amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code to avoid the discreditation and revictimization of survivors of sexual violence. At the same time, appropriate emphasis was placed on the many stereotypical approaches to sexual offences that form and become deep rooted in a person’s mentality over the decades. Dispelling such thoughts would contribute to broader and more accurate assessments of the facts while carrying out judicial duties.”

The training module was based on the manual for investigators, prosecutors and judges on cases of sexual violence crimes, which was developed with the support of UN Women, the Council of Europe and Equality Now, as well as the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and international and local experts, including court representatives. In addition, a special module, based on the same manual, was developed on the issue of sexual violence for defence lawyers, under which 16 lawyers were also trained to become instructors.

This training series is part of the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality (UNJP), implemented with the generous funding of the Swedish Government.