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(c) Take measures aimed at closing, on a temporary or definitive basis, premises used
to commit such offences.
Article 8
1 . States Parties shall adopt appropriate measures to protect the rights and interests of
child victims of the practices prohibited under the present Protocol at all stages of the criminal justice process, in particular by:
(a) Recognizing the vulnerability of child victims and adapting procedures to recognize their special needs, including their special needs as witnesses;
(b) Informing child victims of their rights, their role and the scope, timing and
progress of the proceedings and of the disposition of their cases;
(c) Allowing the views, needs and concerns of child victims to be presented and
considered in proceedings where their personal interests are affected, in a mariner consistent with the procedural rules of national law;
(d) Providing appropriate support services to child victims throughout the legal
process;
(e) Protecting, as appropriate, the privacy and identity of child victims and taking
measures in accordance with national law to avoid the inappropriate dissemination of information that could lead to the identification of child victims;
(f) Providing, in appropriate cases, for the safety of child victims, as well as that
of their families and witnesses on their behalf, from intimidation and retaliation;
(g) Avoiding unnecessary delay in the disposition of cases and the execution of
orders or decrees granting compensation to child victims.
2. States Parties shall ensure that uncertainty as to the actual age of the victim shall
not prevent the initiation of criminal investigations, including investigations aimed at establishing the age of the victim.
3. States Parties shall ensure that, in the treatment by the criminal justice system of
children who are victims of the offences described in the present Protocol, the best interest
of the child shall be a primary consideration.
4. States Parties shall take measures to ensure appropriate training, in particular legal
and psychological training, for the persons who work with victims of the offences prohibited under the present Protocol.
5. States Parties shall, in appropriate cases, adopt measures in order to protect the safety and integrity of those persons and/or organizations involved in the prevention and/or protection and rehabilitation of victims of such offences.
6. Nothing in the present Article shall be construed as prejudicial to or inconsistent
with the rights of the accused to a fair and impartial trial.
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