On 11-12 September 2024, the National Training Centre for Preventing and Combating Gender-Based Violence of the High School conducted training under the programme ‘Preventing and Combating Gender-Based Violence, including Domestic Violence’.

The training for 22 prosecutors from Lviv, Poltava and Sumy regions was held as part of a cooperation agreement between the Graduate School and the Training Centre for Prosecutors of Ukraine.

The main goal was to increase the level of professional competence of prosecutors in combating gender-based violence, including domestic violence, and their participation in criminal proceedings in this area.

For two days, the participants worked with trainers Viktor Valchuk, national expert on preventing and combating gender-based violence, including domestic violence; Head of the human rights NGO Veles+; Advisor to the Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine; and Iryna Shurkhno, Head of the Department for Organisation of Procedural Guidance and Support of Public Prosecution in Criminal Proceedings Related to Domestic Violence, Department for Protection of Children’s Interests and Combating Domestic Violence, Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

The students reviewed international and national legislation in the field of preventing and combating domestic violence and gender-based violence. They considered in detail special measures to combat domestic violence, the grounds and procedure for their application, and restrictive measures in criminal proceedings. Among other issues, they discussed confidentiality as an important component for the safety of victims, the peculiarities of procedural guidance of pre-trial investigation of criminal proceedings and the conclusion of agreements in criminal proceedings related to domestic violence.