The next event from the Victims’ Rights Communicators Network (VRCN) will take place on Friday 25 July, between 10:30 – 12:00 CEST, focusing on how storytelling—particularly in visual formats—can support communication around justice and victims’ rights.
This session will explore the newly released graphic novel Shadows Behind the Screen: A Story of Child Trafficking, developed under the DISRUPT project.
Through an interactive “pick-a-path” format, the novel tells the story of Blue, a teenager who is trafficked after being groomed online. The story presents three possible scenarios, each showing how the use—or absence—of digital evidence can influence the outcome of a human trafficking case. From victim identification to evidence collection and prosecution, the graphic novel highlights both the potential and the limitations of digital tools in real-world investigations.
What the session will cover:
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Behind the scenes: Lieselotte Van Den Heuvel (Victim Support Europe) will share lessons from the development process—what worked well, what proved difficult, and what communicators should keep in mind when working on a graphic novel that depicts sensitive topics like this.
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Visual storytelling in practice: Rex Costello, illustrator of the graphic novel, will discuss the design and visual decisions made throughout the project and how illustration can be used to build understanding on complex issues such as human trafficking.
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This event is for Victim Support Europe members only, who are interested in how an illustrated narrative can visualise difficult topics in a sensitive and meaningful way to promote awareness-raising to the general public.
Register now to join the session: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9GqcuGcMSAKXtAVnqSmUaA
To get the most out of the discussion, we recommend exploring the graphic novel in advance.
Download it here: https://victim-support.eu/publications/disrupt-graphic-novel/
