A/HRC/28/55 harsh conditions, in overcrowded cells or in solitary confinement. They may be exposed to sexual violence, harassment, invasive body searches and humiliating treatment by staff in detention centres. In some countries, girls may face inhuman sentencing, including flogging, stoning and capital punishment. 131. Either as victims, witnesses or alleged offenders, those girls are in desperate need of care, treatment and protection, and gender-sensitive approaches to promote their social reintegration. Sadly, many of them may be at risk of ill-treatment and re-victimization by the justice system itself. 132. Those girls face overwhelming challenges at all stages, including significant barriers to seeking justice. Many are unaware of their rights and even fewer have access to safe, effective and child-sensitive counselling, reporting and complaints mechanisms. Furthermore, perpetrators are often people they know and trust, or on whom they depend for their survival and protection, raising additional challenges to reporting incidents and preventing the risk of reprisals. 133. Seeking redress through the criminal justice system can also be very intimidating, as girls fear that their credibility may be questioned, or that they may be blamed, rather than protected as victims. In countries where discrimination and stigma against sexual violence is high, it is particularly hard for girls to approach police stations or courts, for fear of verbal intimidation and harassment, and of seeing their testimony dismissed. 134. In order to address those significant challenges, the international community has developed international standards, including the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules),42 the updated Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice,43 and the recently adopted United Nations Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Children in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. 135. It is crucial to narrow the gap between those standards and practice. In that process, three dimensions have particular relevance. 136. Firstly, the enactment and enforcement of a sound legal framework to ban all forms of violence against children, including when used as a form of discipline, control or sentencing within the criminal justice system; to de-criminalize status offences, such as running away from domestic violence and survival behaviours; and to remove any justification that condones or allows violence, including on the grounds of culture, tradition, honour or religion. 137. Secondly, the establishment of widely available and easily accessible, safe and confidential mechanisms to support girls to overcome the fear of reporting cases of violence. They need to be supported by child- and gender-sensitive standards to ensure the effective participation of girls in relevant judicial and administrative proceedings, and to safeguard their safety, privacy and dignity at all stages. 138. Thirdly, ending impunity and tolerance of violence against girls. That calls for information and social mobilization initiatives to overcome social norms compromising girls’ protection from violence. It also requires strong accountability mechanisms in places of detention and effective training of professionals in the formal and informal justice system. Solid skills are indeed indispensable to address the complexities and sensitivities of 42 43 22 See A/RES/65/229. See A/RES/65/228, annex.