GENERAL PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE OF THE SR: The highest representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Offices of the Visegrad Group member states signed the Declaration on the Protection of Children’s Rights by Prosecution Authorities in the High Tatras.
The 13th Meeting of the Highest Representatives of the Prosecution Services of the Visegrad Group member states and their deputies took place in the High Tatras. This year's meeting was hosted by the Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic, Maroš Žilinka, in Tatranská Lomnica.
At the significant meeting, Maroš Žilinka welcomed the Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic, Lenka Bradáčová, the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Poland, Jacek Bilewicz, and the Representative of the Prosecutor General of Hungary, Barna Miskolczi, along with their delegations. The Slovak side, together with the Prosecutor General, was represented by the First Deputy Prosecutor General Jozef Kandera and Deputy Prosecutor General Jozef Sedlák.
The Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic, Maroš Žilinka, last hosted the Forum of the Highest Representatives of Prosecution Services of the Visegrad Group member states in Bratislava in 2022, as part of the jubilee 10th edition of the event. This year, the countries commemorate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Visegrad Group and as Maroš Žilinka stated, the platform of meetings of prosecutors general is clear proof that the partnership of states is not just a formal structure, but a living organism built on shared values.
Over the previous 12 editions, the Slovak Prosecution Service has hosted the platform for the fourth time, during which the representatives of the V4 prosecution services signed the Košice (2016), Tatry (2012), and Bratislava Declarations (2022). This year, the central theme of the forum was the protection of the rights of children and minors, a topic that is one of the key priorities of the Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic. Maroš Žilinka: „As guardians of legality, prosecution services have a moral obligation to also be the voice of those who cannot defend themselves. It is a topic that deeply transcends the borders of our states and requires not only legal precision, but also a great deal of humanity and specialization. “
Within the criminal law section of the event, the heads of the General Prosecutor's Offices focused on protecting the rights and status of children as suspects and accused persons, emphasizing that a perceptive and lawful approach to juvenile delinquents is also key to effective prevention and long-term societal protection. They also addressed the sensitivity of protecting child witnesses and child victims of crime. Since the non-criminal law section of the prosecution service plays an equally crucial role in civil proceedings and public administration oversight, the experts also discussed options for actively intervening in proceedings involving minors. The Slovak representatives placed particular emphasis on supervisory power in places where children's personal liberty is restricted, whether in institutional care or re-educational facilities.
The Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic and her deputies presented their experiences with a unified concept of education for state attorneys and the solutions to the aforementioned issue from the perspective of state attorneys within the Czech judicial system. Lenka Bradáčová stated at the event: „To think that juvenile delinquency can be solved by criminal law alone would be naive. It is an interdisciplinary problem, and our task is to describe it and bring it into the public arena. The protection of children in today's world of multiple crises must not be overlooked. “
The expert meeting culminated in the signing of the Declaration on the Protection of Children's Rights by Prosecution Authorities. Its goal is not only to strengthen an effective platform for modern prosecutorial activity, but also to bring concrete impulses and solutions that will primarily help the youngest citizens of the countries, who cannot defend themselves. Its important points include, among others, strengthening the legal protection of children, preventing secondary victimization, implementing their safety in the digital space as well as specialized training for prosecutors in this field. In order to prevent online child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and other cyber threats, the V4 General Prosecutor's Offices expressed support for the European Parliament's recommendation regarding the restriction of children's access to social networks without the consent of their legal representatives. The declaration includes preventive mechanisms and records aimed at eliminating the access of high-risk individuals to working with children, as well as interdisciplinary cooperation, with special emphasis placed on close collaboration between prosecution authorities and other entities involved in the protection of minors, particularly social and legal child protection authorities and medical facilities. Furthermore, the declaration emphasizes the continuous deepening of the exchange of experiences within the prosecution services of the Visegrad Group and other European Union member states to maximize the effectiveness of the criminal law protection of children. In the non-criminal field, the heads of the V4 General Prosecutor's Offices committed themselves by signing to analytical and data cooperation, academic and judicial cooperation, and reaffirmed their readiness to continue close multilateral cooperation while simultaneously deepening direct institutional partnerships at the bilateral level.
In conclusion, Maroš Žilinka praised the long-standing cooperation of the V4 prosecution services, which relies on continuity and a strong tradition that confirm the firm position of the shared region in the European legal space, while this meeting also reaffirmed a common interest in protecting the most vulnerable.
Maroš Žilinka: "This meeting also confirmed that not a single one of our countries is indifferent to the issue of protecting children and minors; we realize the seriousness with which we, as law enforcement authorities, must approach the protection of society against crime committed by minors, and at the same time use all available means to protect the most vulnerable."
From left: Lenka Bradáčová, Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic; Barna Miskolczi, Representative of the Prosecutor General of Hungary; Jacek Bilewicz, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Poland; and Maroš Žilinka, Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic, during the signing of the declaration
From left: Lenka Bradáčová, Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic; Barna Miskolczi, Representative of the Prosecutor General of Hungary; Jacek Bilewicz, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Poland; and Maroš Žilinka, Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic.
From left: Zdeněk Kasal, First Deputy to Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic; Lenka Bradáčová, Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic; Jiří Pavlík, Deputy to Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic; Barna Miskolczi, Representative of the Prosecutor General of Hungary; Jacek Bilewicz, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Poland; Miroslaw Jerzy Iwanicki, Director of the International Cooperation Bureau of the National Prosecutor's Office; Maroš Žilinka, Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic; Jozef Kandera, First Deputy Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic; and Jozef Sedlák, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic.