Special Report “The Administration of Justice on Crimes of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children” is the first large-scale research evaluating national legislation and administration of justice on cases of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children using interdisciplinary, victim-centered approaches and in compliance with international human rights standards. Based on the challenges identified, rec­ommendations were developed for the purpose of improving legislation, policies and practices.

The results of the study show that, despite the actions taken by the State, there remain significant challenges, both in terms of legal regulation and practice. Georgian legisla­tion relating to crimes of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children still does not comply with the mandatory human rights instruments ratified by Georgia. In addition to this, the timely identification/prevention of crimes of sexual abuse of children, proper administration of justice and their protection from secondary victimization remain problematic.

The study of Public Defender’s Office revealed that, State does not have services specifically focused on rehabilitation or provision of support to child victims of sexual abuse, which would allow relevant professionals to plan long-term work with both children and their families. The currently available state services are drastically incon­ sistent with the needs existing in the country.

The Report was prepared with the support of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) within the framework of a project “Strengthening the Capacities of the Public De­fender’s Department on the Rights of the Child in Monitoring Cases of Sexual Abuse of Children.”