CHILD victims of serious sexual offences have been offered free legal support under a new pilot scheme.
The Children’s Sexual Offences Legal Adviser (CSOLA) will offer free and independent legal advice to children and young people aged 17 and under, as well as their parents and carers, until the start of a trial.
The Justice Minister Naomi Long said it would help people through “one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.”
“I also recognise the criminal justice system can be difficult to navigate, even more so for children, which is why it has been a priority for me to launch the CSOLA service.”
She said an added benefit would be that the advice was available before any offence was reported, which may make it easier for victims to contact police.
A similar pilot scheme for adults (SOLA) was launched in 2021, helping around 2,000 victims.
“Feedback from users of the adult service has been overwhelmingly positive, so extending the scheme to children is a further improvement by the Department, reflecting my determination to put the victim at the centre of the criminal justice system.”
The new scheme is being launched during Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness week, representing a £310,000 investment from the Department of Justice.
The service will be provided by Victim Support NI, who recently appointed solicitor Emma-Rose Duffy to the CSOLA role.
Victim Support NI deputy CEO Nichola Greene, said: “We are delighted to be able to extend the existing SOLA scheme to include children and young people.
“Feedback from the adult SOLA service tells us that the free legal advice and one-to-one advocacy support of our SOLAs is of enormous benefit to victims when trying to navigate the criminal justice system.
“Our new Children’s SOLA Emma-Rose Duffy brings not only great experience to the role, having previously worked at the Children’s Law Centre, but also has a long-standing passion for children’s rights and a focus on mental health and well-being.
“We believe this new service will provide young victims of serious sexual crime, and their families or carers, with another pillar of support which will help them to access their Victim Charter rights and feel engaged and informed throughout their criminal justice journey.”
