Exploring the Impact of the Catalan Pilot of the Barnahus Model on the Criminal Justice System

Child sexual abuse (CSA) constitutes a serious social problem with profound and long-lasting consequences for victims and their families. Interaction between child victims and the criminal justice system frequently results in secondary victimisation, thereby jeopardising victims’ recovery processes. This paper examines whether the implementation of the first Barnahus pilot in Catalonia has led to changes in key criminal justice outcomes indicative of a reduction in secondary victimisation and improvements in the collection of evidence. Adopting both a victimological and a procedural perspective, the study employs a quantitative research design based on the analysis of judicial case files involving 520 child victims of sexual abuse. Three core indicators are examined: the duration of criminal proceedings, case dismissal rates, and conviction rates. The inclusion of temporal and territorial control groups allows for the assessment of relevant changes in criminal justice outcomes following the implementation of the Barnahus model in Catalonia. The findings suggest that Barnahus involvement in supporting child victims is associated with meaningful improvements in criminal justice outcomes. Overall, the results underscore the potential of the Barnahus model for the implementation of a child-friendly and victim-oriented justice system.