New regional center for child victims of crime opened in south Moldova city

A new regional integrated assistance center for children who are victims or witnesses of crime has been inaugurated in Cahul. Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu has made statements to this effect. He emphasized the importance of strengthening mechanisms for the protection of minors.

The center was created with the support of the Government of Germany and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and is the second Barnahus-type service in Moldova, after the one opened in the north of the country.

According to the data presented, in 2025 the similar center provided integrated assistance and protection services to 270 children.

Igor Grosu specified that the new structures were meant to provide, in a single place, legal, psychological, medical and social services to children who have been victims or witnesses of crime, thus reducing their exposure to repeated procedures and multiple interactions with state institutions.

“Such centers have the role of providing legal, psychological, medical and social assistance, under one roof, to children who have been victims or witnesses of various crimes,” said Igor Grosu.

The speaker noted that the protection of children who are victims of abuse and crime remains a priority for the authorities and the development of these services contributes to strengthening a safe environment for minors.

“Ensuring a safe environment for children is one of the pillars of a state that strives to become European,” Grosu stressed.

The regional center in Cahul is part of the nationwide expansion of the Barnahus model – an integrated system for the protection of children who are victims or witnesses of crime, developed in Moldova starting from 2022.

The Barnahus model brings together under the same roof essential services for children, including legal and psychological assistance, with the aim of reducing the trauma caused by repeated interaction with multiple institutions and ensuring procedures adapted to the child’s age.