European Union adopts new measures to prevent, punish child sex abuse

[News_Editor]

European Union adopts new measures to prevent, punish child sex abuse

2011-11-16 12:22:28 GMT+7 (ICT)

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union (EU) on Tuesday adopted a series of new measures to prevent and increase sentences for the sexual abuse of children. The new laws will be adopted by member states within two years.

One of the new measures adopted by the Council of the European Union will prevent convicted pedophiles from moving to another European Union member state and apply for jobs related to the care of children. It is currently very difficult to clear foreign EU nationals when they apply for such jobs.

This problem was highlighted in December 2010 when Dutch authorities discovered that 27-year-old Robert Mikelsons from Latvia had sexually abused at least 87 children while employed at two Amsterdam nurseries. It was later found that Mikelsons had previously been convicted in Germany for the possession of child pornography, which was unknown to Dutch authorities.

The new measures aim to prevent such cases and force European Union member states to circulate data from national criminal records so that convicted offenders can be prevented from exercising professional activities which involve regular contact with children. It will allow employers to easily request information about the previous convictions of candidates.

Other new laws will give authorities of European Union member states the jurisdiction to prosecute its citizens if they are suspected of having engaged in child sex tourism abroad, especially in countries where such crimes are rarely prosecuted. "This is meant to diminish demand for sexual services outside the EU," the Council said.

The measures adopted on Tuesday also increase the maximum penalties for a number of crimes. For instance, the maximum penalties range from at least one year imprisonment for causing a child to witness sexual activities to at least ten years for coercing a child into sexual acts.

Sentences for the sexual exploitation of children can go from at least two years imprisonment for attending pornographic performances involving children to a minimum of ten years for forcing a child into prostitution. It also increases sentences for grooming, the soliciting of children on the internet, by at least one year if in combination with the production of child pornography or child abuse.

In regards to the possession of child pornography, with the exception for the purposes of investigation, the new European Union measures call for a punishment of at least one year imprisonment and at least three years for the production of child pornography.

"Another key issue is dealing with the supply of child pornography on the internet," the Council said in a statement. The new EU rules requires member states to ensure the prompt removal of such material if it is hosted on websites within their territory and allows them to block access to the site.

However, while the maximum penalties for such crimes has been increased from previous rules from 2004, the Council also introduced reduced penalties in cases where the child has reached the age of sexual consent as defined by national law but is under 18.

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