Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has opened special rooms which will be used to facilitate and make comfortable all children who might be in contact with the justice system over different reasons. The children who get in contact with the judiciary include juvenile suspects, victims and witnesses. In partnership with UNICEF, RIB on Wednesday September 15, inaugurated the first official room dubbed “Children Friendly Space” located at Kicukiro RIB station in Kicukiro district. Isabelle Kalihangabo, the Deputy Secretary-General of RIB told journalists that over 2000 children every year are reported to have conflict with laws adding that the friendly rooms will help them in many ways. “The spaces are going to help children who come to us for different reasons to be more comfortable in sharing their experience and testimonies during the investigations,” she said. She added that this will also help RIB in effective management of cases involving children in conflict with law. According to Kalihangabo, there is another space in Northern Province to be completed before the end of this year and more are to be established countrywide. She noted the move is in line with children protection through professional detection and investigation of all child related crimes in child friendly settings. Julianna Lindsey, the country representative of UNICEF said that the space required infrastructural transformation at the station & relevant equipment to support child-friendly interviews. There are trained investigators, who, during interviews, will be recording the video to be used in the courtroom. She said these spaces are expected to reduce children’s secondary trauma which might be caused by repeating scenarios while testifying in courts since recorded videos will be used in courtrooms. “This will ensure successful prosecutions of cases concerning children because the recorded evidence can be used in a courtroom in a better way,” she said, adding that this will also motivate more children to report their cases because they feel more comfortable and safe in the space.
