More resources need to be devoted in the Republic of Moldova to identifying and supporting victims of child sexual exploitation, including from the most vulnerable groups, according to a joint Council of Europe and ECPAT International Country Overview released today.
The Overview underlines that the country’s socio-economic situation and high migration rates have left many children vulnerable to violence, neglect, and exploitation. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has added further strain to the Moldovan child protection system, with refugee children facing heightened risks of trafficking and exploitation.
While the Republic of Moldova has comprehensive criminal legislation against child sexual abuse and exploitation and has recently approved the creation of a Specialised Commission for the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the Lanzarote Convention, the Country Overview identifies a number of issues that still need to be addressed.
Reporting of sexual offences remains low and child-friendly justice procedures would benefit from further improvement. There has been a significant increase in sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated by technology: out of the 1,745 calls made in the first half of 2021 to the online platform that provides counselling to children who experienced online sexual abuse, 89% (1,554) of the calls were from children. Most of reports referred to sexual extortion.
Furthermore, traditional norms and beliefs in the country contribute to the lack of awareness around gender-based violence among the country’s child population.
The Country Overview contains suggested ways forward to further improve the protection of children from sexual exploitation and abuse in the Republic of Moldova.
Summary of the Country Overview (English)
Full Country Overview (English and Romanian)
Calls for Tenders
