The Local Council of Sector 2 of the Municipality of Bucharest, through the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection Sector 2 (DGASPC Sector 2), is launching the first pilot center to support victims of crimes, a project that aims to provide rapid intervention and multidisciplinary support to people affected by violence, abuse or other crimes. The investment in the completion of this pilot project was approved by the City Council and is over 1 million lei.
The announcement was made on World Social Work Day, a day which highlights the essential role of social workers in supporting vulnerable people and strengthening community solidarity.
The “Integrated Service for the Support of Crime Victims” project is carried out in partnership with the Association for the Development of Alternative Practices of Reintegration and Education and represents an innovative model of social intervention.
The new center will offer victims rapid access, within the center, to psychological counseling, social assistance and legal support, as well as guidance on accessing rights and services necessary for recovery and reintegration. By integrating these services into a single intervention mechanism, the project aims to reduce administrative barriers and provide real support to victims at a critical moment.
“Protecting vulnerable people is a fundamental responsibility of the local administration. By launching this pilot project, Sector 2 will become the first local administration in the Capital to develop an integrated service center dedicated to crime victims. We want this initiative to become a model of good practice at the national level and contribute to building a more effective protection system for those who need support”. said Rareș Hopincă, the mayor of Sector 2.
For her part, Alexandra Dobre, deputy general director of DGASPC Sector 2, emphasized the impact such a service can have on victims: “Victims of crime often face not only the trauma of the event itself, but also major difficulties in accessing the support they need. Through this integrated service centre, we bring together the resources needed to provide psychological, social and legal support, reducing the complicated route victims are forced to take to get help.”
The initiative comes in the context of growing concerns at the European and national level regarding the protection of victims of violence, human trafficking and other crimes, as well as the need to develop effective intervention and support mechanisms.
By implementing this pilot project, Sector 2 aims to develop a replicable intervention model, which will contribute to improving victims’ access to specialized services and to strengthening the social protection system. The launch of this service represents an important step in the development of modern public policies in the field of social assistance, oriented towards prevention, rapid intervention and the recovery of victims.
