The children’s sexual offences legal adviser (CSOLA) scheme, delivered by Victim Support NI, was launched by justice minister Naomi Long yesterday.

Available to children and young people aged 17 and under who have experienced sexual crime, as well as to their parents/carers, the service provides them with free, independent legal advice until the start of a trial.

A similar scheme for adults was launched on a pilot basis in April 2021 and was recently extended until March 2027.

Launching the service, Mrs Long said: “I am committed to creating a justice system that is focussed on supporting victims — to ensure we do everything we can to help people through one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.

“In that vein, we know that cases which involve a sexual offence can be some of the most traumatic for a victim to endure.

“I also recognise the criminal justice system can be difficult to navigate, even more so for children, which is why it has been a priority for me to launch the CSOLA service.”

She added: “One key benefit of the CSOLA scheme is that free advice on the criminal justice system will be available prior to any offence being reported, which will help victims make informed decisions and may make it easier to contact police.

“The adult [SOLA] pilot scheme was launched in April 2021 and has helped around 2,000 victims.

“Feedback from users of the adult service has been overwhelmingly positive, so extending the scheme to children is a further improvement by the Department, reflecting my determination to put the victim at the centre of the criminal justice system.”

The Department of Justice has provided £310,000 in funding to establish the CSOLA service, which is provided by Victim Support NI.

Solicitor Emma-Rose Duffy was recently appointed by the charity as child sexual offences legal adviser.

Nichola Greene, deputy CEO of Victim Support NI, said: “We are delighted to be able to extend the existing SOLA scheme to include children and young people.

“Feedback from the adult SOLA service tells us that the free legal advice and one-to-one advocacy support of our SOLAs is of enormous benefit to victims when trying to navigate the criminal justice system.

“Our new children’s SOLA, Emma-Rose Duffy, brings not only great experience to the role, having previously worked at the Children’s Law Centre, but also has a long-standing passion for children’s rights and a focus on mental health and well-being.

“We believe this new service will provide young victims of serious sexual crime, and their families or carers, with another pillar of support which will help them to access their Victim Charter rights and feel engaged and informed throughout their criminal justice journey.”

Mrs Long added: “The Department of Justice is also looking at extending the scope of the SOLA service.

“Currently, the SOLAs are unable to represent victims in court. My Department is consulting on legislative proposals for inclusion in a Victims and Witnesses of Crime Bill that would allow SOLAs to provide representation for complainants at court pre-trial, in certain circumstances.

“I encourage all those with an interest to respond to these proposals.”