The National Institute of Justice will pilot the HELP e-course “Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings”, launched on Thursday, 13 November 2025, in partnership with the Council of Europe. The event marked the start of the training program, which has enrolled 81 participants, including judges, prosecutors, judicial assistants, court clerks, staff of courts and prosecutor’s offices, prosecutor’s consultants, state-guaranteed legal aid lawyers, and NIJ trainers.
The official opening featured a welcome address by the NIJ Deputy Director, Ghennadi Epure, followed by the intervention of the Head of the Council of Europe’s HELP Programme, Ana-Maria Telbis, who presented the HELP training platform, the new e-courses available, and the programme’s development directions.
Adapted to the national legal framework, the course aims at the consistent application of European standards concerning the protection of victims of trafficking in human beings and the strengthening of institutional response mechanisms. Structured into 11 modules, the programme covers topics such as international and European legislation, identification and protection of victims, the non-punishment principle, investigation and prosecution, sentencing, compensation, and reintegration.
The training process will be conducted under the guidance of national HELP tutors and NIJ trainers: Elena Cobzac, former judge, and Sergiu Russu, prosecutor. During the launch session, they outlined the practical aspects of the course implementation and analysed the findings of the European Court of Human Rights in the case I.C. v. the Republic of Moldova, highlighting the State’s obligations regarding the identification and protection of victims, as well as the need for a proportionate judicial response.
“Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings” is the 27th HELP e-course tutored at the national level by the National Institute of Justice. The programme will run from 13 November to 25 December this year, and participants will receive certificates issued by the HELP Unit and the NIJ.