With the graduation ceremony of the 2024 Cohort, Fundación Amparo y Justicia concluded a more than ten-year cycle with the final edition of the certificate program “The Rights of Children and Adolescents Victims of Sexual Crimes and the Judicial System,” conducted in collaboration with the Faculty of Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
This certificate program was created with a clear purpose: to strengthen the judicial system’s response to one of the most devastating forms of violence a child can experience.
Over its 14 editions, it trained 783 judicial system operators, fostering knowledge, sensitivity, and commitment in each participant.
From the beginning, it became a space for interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration, bringing together professionals from diverse entities such as the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Judiciary, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the Ministry of the Interior, the Investigative Police (PDI), Carabineros, the Legal Medical Service, Mejor Niñez, and the Public Defender’s Office, among many others.
With the arrival of the pandemic, the diploma faced a new challenge: moving to an online format. Far from limiting its reach, this shift allowed the program to extend training to regions of the country that were previously difficult to access, broadening its impact and diversity.
One of the program’s greatest achievements was its academic staff. Over the years, 83 professors participated—50 national and 33 international—from countries including the United States, Australia, Argentina, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, the Netherlands, and Ireland.
Each contributed their expertise, perspective, and commitment to strengthening justice for children and adolescents.
The closing ceremony included the panel discussion “The Evolution of the Rights of Children and Adolescents Victims of Sexual Crimes in Chile,” featuring:
- María Elena Santibáñez, UC academic and director of Fundación Amparo y Justicia.
- Maurizio Sovino, director of the Specialized Unit for Sexual and Exploitation Crimes at the National Prosecutor’s Office.
- Ester Valenzuela, lawyer and academic expert on childhood.
The conversation was moderated by Carolina Puyol, Head of Training at Fundación Amparo y Justicia.
With the graduation of the 2024 Cohort, Fundación Amparo y Justicia concludes a program that has left a profound mark on the training of hundreds of professionals committed to justice and the protection of children and adolescents in Chile.
