By Chiara Zambrano
When the young girl named Kimberly stepped into the courtroom, her head was bowed, hands clutched together. This was Kimberly’s first time inside a courtroom, and her fear was apparent.
The Calamba City Family Court, who handles cases involving women and children south of Manila, says fear is a common reaction in children made to appear in court. Understandably so – regular court proceedings, while necessary, can prove to be traumatizing to the child. Some come out of trial with deeper psychological wounds. Others stop coming to trial altogether.
This inspired the Calamba City Family Court to think of ways to make children feel safe in court, enough to speak their truth and see the proceedings through. Supported by the European Union’s Governance in Justice Programme (EU-GOJUST), they launched the Kids Day Out in Court, a guided, child-friendly tour of the courtroom before their trial day.
At Kids Day Out, the Calamba City Family Court invited 175 Children in Conflict with the Law and Children at Risk, like Kimberly, to come familiarize themselves with the different parts of the courtroom like the judge’s chambers, records room, witness stand, and the holding room full of toys and books where children can stay to avoid hearing unpleasant portions of their trial. The children met the judge, prosecutor, public attorney, and other members of the court, who happily told them about their roles.
Kimberly found herself playing games with the other children, winning prizes, and laughing at the judge’s jokes – the opposite of what Kimberly expected to see.
“It’s fun here. They really help ease our minds,” she said. “For kids like me who have never been in a courtroom, who have never been to a hearing or seen a judge, they can learn all that at Kids Day Out in Court.”
The children also received the first copies of “KatKat and the Court,” a comic book about Kids Day Out that was proudly co-written, illustrated, and published by EU-GOJUST for children who do not have access to the actual event.
For Kimberly, the experience not only changed her mindset about the court. It also gave new confidence that when her trial comes, her story would be heard.
“I know I’ll speak the truth. I’m not afraid anymore.”
Kids Day Out Project was made with the guidance of the Calamba City Justice Zone, an entity that coordinates the efforts of all justice sector players at a given locality in finding shared solutions to common problems. Justice Zones are supported by EU-GOJUST, with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as its implementing partner.