A new Protocol with instructions on how to provide support and protect victims in court has been developed in Montenegro. The Protocol is intended for professionals from the Victim and Witness Support Services at courts, who come in contact with victims of trafficking in human beings and domestic violence during court proceedings. Its goal is to make it easier for relevant professionals to answer the basic rights and needs of victims, and offer adequate support. This is a result of a joint European Union/Council of Europe action “Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro”. The instructions were drafted in collaboration with the Supreme Court of Montenegro.

In the Protocol, the professionals from the Victim and Witness Support Services can find information about steps that should be taken when working with victims of domestic violence and trafficking in human beings involved in court proceedings, and it could serve as a reference document for other relevant institutions working with victims, as well as an encouragement to all victims / potential victims to turn to the Services for support during trials against perpetrators of domestic violence and trafficking in human beings.

The action “Improved procedural safeguards in judicial proceedings in Montenegro” is a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022”.