Judicial Roundtable II hosted by Alternative Sociale, Romania

On December 13, COPE member Alternative Sociale hosted the conference “Thinking of children – Respecting children’s rights in judicial proceedings” in Iasi, Romania. The event sought to promote child-friendly justice practices to Romanian central, regional and local actors – magistrates, police, prison system, probation and social services, lawyers and NGOs; and strengthen collaborations with national … Read more

Roundtable II: Building protection now and “future proofing” the rights of children with imprisoned parents in Greece

Friday 10 November, 2023 I Myrtillo Café — Park for Children & Culture COPE, in conjunction with the Deputy Children’s Ombudswoman of Greece, hosted a second day-long cross-sectoral roundtable for stakeholders in Greece to coordinate action to support and protect the rights of children with a parent in prison. Some 20 participants were present, including … Read more

Compassionate sentencing – a judge’s perspective from Romania

The following text was spoken by Daniel Mirauta, judge of a Court of Appeals in Romania, at COPE’s Annual Network Meeting in Limerick, June 2023. My name is Daniel Mirauta. I am a judge in Romania, in a Court of Appeals. I judge mainly criminal appeals and my judgments are enforceable and final, so they … Read more

European Union Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the European Child Guarantee

The Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the European Child Guarantee were published by the European Union on 24 March 2021. These two comprehensive policy initiatives mark the Commission’s commitment to ‘better protect all children, to help them fulfill their rights and to place them right at the centre of EU policy making’ (European … Read more

Strip-searching of children visiting a parent in prison banned in Estonia

Thanks to the ongoing advocacy of Estonia’s Chancellor of Justice (CoJ), the rights of children with an imprisoned parent are gaining increased visibility in Estonia, reflected by important shifts in practice. Notably, strip-searching of children visiting prison is now banned in all three prisons in Estonia. The CoJ, the independent supervisor of basic principles of the Constitution … Read more

COPE annual conference and network meeting 2023

Registration is now open ! The international conference “Reconnecting through Learning and Play” co-hosted by Bedford Row Family Project, COPE, Mary Immaculate College and Limerick Prison will take place in Limerick on June 8.  How can we use play to strengthen the child-parent bond during a parent’s imprisonment ?  How can schools foster compassionate and supportive environments for children … Read more

Call for strengthened protection and care systems to support children and young people

COPE stands alongside 14 other NGOs to call on the international community to protect upon all children impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. A year has passed since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, which has affected and displaced millions of children. Despite the international community’s repeated calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops … Read more