Imagine being the victim of a crime so traumatising it takes you years, even decades, to be able to tell anyone about it. Then imagine that when you are finally able to do so, nothing can be done. You are told it is too late for justice.
This is exactly the position faced by survivors of child sexual abuse across the European Union because of time limits on prosecution for certain crimes. Countries have different reasons for imposing such limits, including — ironically — the loss of recollection over time.
But in the case of child sexual abuse, the effect is too often to allow perpetrators of this most heinous crime to escape justice. The law needs to change.
EU-level foundations to fight child sexual abuse
That is why I have been working with my fellow MEPs on the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee (LIBE) to strengthen EU countries’ capacity to fight child sexual abuse. On 13 May, we voted unanimously in favour of abolishing time limits on the prosecution of such crimes across the European Union, alongside other vital legal updates.
Now it is time for the entire European Parliament to take a stand in a vote on 17 June. I urge all my fellow MEPs to support this crucial update to our EU laws. Besides ending time limits on the prosecution of child abusers, we need to make sure to criminalise new phenomena including the creation of “instruction manuals” to facilitate abuse, and livestreaming abuse. We also need to tackle deep-fake child sexual abuse material and the tools that create these AI images.
My colleagues and I agreed on tougher punishments and improved mechanisms for reporting abuse. That includes raising the maximum penalties for a number of offences, including pursuing sexual activities with children, recruiting children for exploitation in prostitution, and possessing or distributing child sexual abuse material.
We also aim to eliminate any distinction in sentencing severity for child victims based on whether they are above or below the age of consent, because a child can never consent to abuse.
Supporting victims of child sexual abuse
We owe it to victims to support them properly through the legal process and ensure that justice is served.
Child victim support should be free of charge and include medical and forensic examinations, assistance with documenting evidence, gender-sensitive healthcare, and access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services. We want this to be based on the Barnahus model, where services to support child victims are accessible under one roof.
In addition, EU member states should ensure that hotlines — organisations that receive reports of potential child sexual abuse from the public — can operate more effectively by enabling direct cooperation with online platforms.
In framing these proposals, I met survivors of child sexual abuse. The measures we propose have been shaped by their experiences and perspectives, and are intended to be both effective and future-proof. Now it is up to all my fellow MEPs to hear their voices and adopt the changes.
The journey doesn’t end with the European Parliament. We will have to work even harder to convince national governments about the importance of our reforms and subsequently to ensure proper implementation.
But this vote will be a vital step along the way, and will be a strong signal that MEPs across the political spectrum are united behind the need to better protect all of our children. These proposals will support survivors in their journey of healing and ensure that child abusers cannot count down the days to escape justice.
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