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This measure reaffirms the regulatory power of the Supreme Court to safeguard effective judicial protection and the fundamental rights of people in vulnerable situations.
Santo Domingo.- The Plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) approved the Protocol for Forensic Interviews of Victims and Witnesses in a Condition of Vulnerability, in compliance with judgment TC/0522/23 issued by the Constitutional Court.
Said ruling establishes that the regulation of procedures related to forensic interviews is the exclusive competence of the Plenary of the SCJ, as the body responsible for regulating aspects related to the jurisdictional function.
The protocol defines the operational framework for conducting interviews with children and adolescents, elderly adults, women victims of gender-based violence, people with disabilities, and other groups facing barriers to accessing the justice system. These interviews will be considered as advance evidence, ensuring that testimonies are obtained in a respectful, safe manner and in accordance with national and international human rights standards.You can also read: New Penal Code penalizes sexual violence in a relationship
Among its objectives are the prevention of secondary victimization, the guarantee of confidentiality, the promotion of effective access to justice, and the standardization of procedures in Forensic Interview Centers. The elaboration of the protocol is based on the constitutional mandate to protect fundamental rights and on the international commitments assumed by the Dominican State, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), among other international instruments. The protocol will come into effect once it is published on the institutional portal and its implementation will be accompanied by a training process aimed at judges and system operators, under the coordination of the National School of the Judiciary.
