EU Parliament Endorses Updated Rules to Address Child Sexual Abuse in the Digital Age

On Tuesday, the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament approved legislative changes aimed at enhancing the ability of EU countries to combat child sexual abuse effectively, particularly in light of new technological risks. The endorsed proposal includes updated definitions of crimes related to child sexual abuse and seeks to promote better cooperation between national authorities in investigating and prosecuting such offenses, as well as providing support to victims.

One of the key amendments proposed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is the removal of limitation periods to allow victims more time to come forward and seek justice. Additionally, MEPs advocate for a new definition of consent for children above the age of sexual consent and the establishment of child-friendly justice and support mechanisms to assist victims.

The legislative changes also call for higher punishments for various offenses related to child sexual abuse and the elimination of limitation periods for such crimes. MEPs are pushing for the criminalization of using artificial intelligence systems for child sexual abuse crimes and have endorsed measures to address livestreaming and online dissemination of abusive material.

MEPs stress the importance of supporting child victims through free services such as medical and forensic examinations, gender-sensitive medical care, and access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. They emphasize the need for user-friendly reporting mechanisms and adequate funding to ensure victims receive the support they need.

Rapporteur Jeroen Lenaers highlighted the necessity of updating laws to combat child sexual abuse and criminalizing new forms of abuse facilitated by technology. The draft position was adopted by the Civil Liberties Committee with overwhelming support, paving the way for further debate and eventual adoption in the European Parliament session scheduled for June.