Due to specific psychophysical characteristics, a child is always a vulnerable witness in criminal proceedings. Considering the dangers of the process trauma involved in participating in criminal proceedings, the usual arrangement of the legal position of witnesses requires adaptation to the needs of the child. Today, many international documents oblige or give states guidance in creating a justice system tailored to children. In accordance with international standards, Croatian criminal law adopts special regulations which differentiate the position of a child as a witness from the position of an adult as a witness in criminal proceedings. The paper first analyzes duties from the perspective of the child as a witness, and then explains the distinction between examining a child under the age of fourteen and a child older than fourteen years. Special emphasis is placed on the procedural rights of the child victim or the injured party, as well as on the additional safeguards against secondary victimization in the cases of criminal law protection of children. In the last part of the paper, attention is focused on the importance of establishing a balance between the interests of the child as a witness and the protection of the rights of defendants in the criminal proceeding.