INTRODUCTION TO THE COUNCIL OF
EUROPE CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AGAINST SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION AND SEXUAL ABUSE |
The
Council of Europe Convention on the
Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
has been
prepared by the Committee of Experts on the Protection of Children against
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PC-ES), established in 2005, as a sub-committee
of the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC).
Open for signature on 25 October 2007 in Lanzarote, Spain, the convention
entered into force on 1 July 2010.
The objective of the convention is to protect children against any form of
sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. Every provision aims at preventing sexual
exploitation and sexual abuse of children, protecting child victims of sexual
offences and prosecuting perpetrators. With an emphasis on keeping the best
interests of children in the forefront, the convention covers the following main
aspects:
-preventive and protective measures;
-assistance to child victims and their families;
-intervention programmes or measures for child sex offenders;
-criminal offences, including several entirely new offences, such as child
grooming;
-child-friendly procedures for investigation and prosecution;
-recording and storing of data on convicted sex offenders;
-international co-operation;
-a monitoring mechanism.
The convention provides a comprehensive and exhaustive coverage of the
protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse, which consolidates
existing standards in the field.
The new instrument fills gaps, ensures coherency in Europe and the equal
protection of all of its children by establishing clear common standards and
definitions that are applicable in all European countries, in particular through
harmonising criminal law and other relevant measures.
Introduction to the Convention