Cyprus awarded Crystal Scales of Justice Prize 2023 by Council of Europe

The humanitarian organisation "Hope For Children" CRC Policy Center and the Cyprus Judicial School are announced that they have been awarded the Council of Europe "Crystal Scales of Justice" Prize 2023, a highly significant recognition for Cyprus.

Participation in this competition was a joint effort between Hope For Children and the Cyprus Judicial School, and the awarded practice concerns the innovative tool "Kids in Court Game" (KiCGame) for preparing children - vulnerable witnesses for their participation in judicial proceedings. This tool was developed in collaboration between Hope For Children and Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, led by lead researcher by Dr Marilena Kyriakidou, Senior Lecturer at the university, and coordinated on behalf of HFC by Senior Clinical Psychologist, Ioanna Drousiotou.

The proposal received support from Cyprus’ Ministry of Justice and Public Order and the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child. The tool is also endorsed by other public authorities involved in handling cases of violence against children, such as the Social Welfare Services and Mental Health Services.

The award ceremony took place in Paris in a special event organised by the French Ministry of Justice, attended by Eric Dupond-Moretti, the French Minister of Justice, Pap Ndiaye, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France to the Council of Europe, Christophe Poirel, Director of Human Rights at the Council of Europe, and Francesco Depasquale, President of CEPEJ. Members of the competition's jury committee, composed of prominent figures in the field of justice, were also present at the ceremony to explain their choice.

"Hope For Children" was represented by its Executive Director, Andria Neocleous, and from the Cyprus Judicial School, Georgios Erotokritou, the Director of the School. The ceremony was also attended by Dr Alexia Zalaf, Senior Lecturer at the University of Nicosia and member of the research team of KiCGame, and Stella Hadjioannou, associate of HFC and member of the Board of the Greek Women Foundation Enosis.

Georgios Erotokritou, former Judge of the Supreme Court and current Director of the Cyprus Judicial School, stated during the ceremony that “the "Kids in Court Game" tool aligns with the broader policy of the European Union and the Council of Europe for a Child-Friendly Justice system, which preserves not only the principle of due legal process but also a system that respects the rights of children, including the right to understand the judicial process”.

During her acceptance speech, Andria Neocleous, Executive Director of Hope For Children, emphasised, "As long as there are legal systems that require children to participate in court proceedings, it is our duty to ensure their path through this process is as smooth as possible. This is precisely why we are determined to ensure the global reach of the Kids in Court Game, touching the lives of as many affected children as we can."

On this occasion, the founder of Hope For Children, Joseph Borghese, stressed that “This is a highly significant recognition for the work being done in Cyprus in the field of children's rights, and we urge the government to ensure sustainable co-funding for such initiatives, in alignment with President Christodoulides' commitment to social cohesion policy.”

The award is considered a great honour for Cyprus, as organisations from many European countries participate in the competition. Specifically, for this year's edition, a total of 48 proposals from 17 countries were submitted, with a strong emphasis on access to justice, victim protection, and digitisation of the justice system.

Representatives of the award-winning proposals will be invited to present them at the plenary session of the CEPEJ (European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice) in early December 2023.

As the winning country of this year's competition, Cyprus will host the final ceremony for the 13th edition of the award in October 2025.

More about the "Kids in Court Game" tool:

KiCGame is a psychometric tool in the form of a board game, designed as a means of supporting children who are about to participate in judicial proceedings. Its goal is to prepare children psychologically and familiarise them with the judicial process through a friendly and interactive approach, considering the new environment they are expected to encounter throughout the legal proceedings.

During its development, interviews were conducted with frontline professionals regarding the difficulties they face in preparing children for court (Kyriakidou et al., 2022). For the Greek version, all information and visual materials included in the game were tailored based on the legal framework and the operation of courts in Cyprus.

The KiCGame uses the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Trauma-Focused model (Cohen et al., 2017), educational programs for children's appearance in court (Nathanson & Saywitz, 2015), and numerous international guidelines (e.g., Crown Prosecution Service in the UK, 2019). These elements are applied in the KiCGame, following recommendations for the development of complex interventions (O'Cathain et al., 2019).