At the level of the European Union the Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography sets out a comprehensive legal approach covering the commitment of protecting child victims and preventing the phenomenon. The Directive obliges Member States to provide, in their national legislation, for criminal sanctions in line with the provisions of EU law relating to the fight against sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children as well as child pornography.
The Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse represents a comprehensive tool for the prevention and protection of children from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. Focusing on criminal law aspects and mandating the criminalisation of all types of sexual offences against children, the Convention establishes a specific monitoring mechanism for Member States and requires them to adopt specific legislation and take measures to prevent sexual violence, protect child victims and prosecute perpetrators.
The “Lanzarote Committee” of the Council of Europe (i.e. the Committee of the Parties to the Lanzarote Convention) is the body established to monitor the implementation of the Convention by the parties. The Lanzarote Convention Portal provides access to the progress of the Committee's work and is one of the major reference websites for the prevention and protection of children against all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Committee also communicates good practices through videos available on the portal, in this case those included in the ONE in FIVE Campaign to stop sexual violence against children and the ‘Underwear Rule’ in the child-friendly Kiko and the hand.
WePROTECT is another reference website. This global alliance brings together experts from government, the private sector and civil society and is dedicated to combating online sexual exploitation and abuse of children. WePROTECT develops policies and solutions to protect children from sexual abuse on the Internet.
One of the pillars of INTERPOL is to fight child-pornography beyond national borders. In addition to their core activity of helping the police identify victims of sexual exploitation and supporting traditional police investigations, Interpol also offers advice to parents and children for a safer use of the Internet. In an awareness-raising approach to cyber-risks, Interpol encourages the development of an open and honest dialogue between parents and children on the use of social media, apps, online games and the Internet.
The website of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection sheds light on the phenomenon of sexual abuse of minors both online and offline and provides protection and support measures for all users, whether they are parents, children, guardians or other third parties. This website provides extensive information and explanations on the subject and the phenomenon. It also offers a whole range of actions for preventive tools and detection but also to help child victims. Together with the useful information available on the site, the subject is put into perspective based on 3 possible situations and formulates appropriate advice in three separate handbooks :
- Comprendre l’abus pédosexuel – Guide pour les parents et tuteurs protecteurs
- Abus pédosexuels : réparer les dégâts – Guide pour les parents et tuteurs après la découverte d’un abus
- Protéger mon enfant – Guide pour les parents et tuteurs dont l’enfant a été ou pourrait avoir été victime d’abus sexuel
It should however be pointed out, that any report regarding sexual violence against minors identified on Luxembourg territory must be made in Luxembourg.