Protecting children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse in the Republic of Moldova

Project summary

Context

The Republic of Moldova ratified the Lanzarote Convention in 2011. The Committee of the Parties to the Convention, also known as the Lanzarote Committee, is charged with monitoring the implementation of the Convention. The Republic of Moldova participated in the 1st monitoring round dedicated to the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse in the circle of trust (2014-2018) and is currently taking part in the 2nd monitoring round on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse facilitated by information and communication technologies (2017).

Other important standards taken into consideration during the life of the project include the Council of Europe Guidelines on child-friendly justice (2010) and the Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)7 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on Guidelines to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment.

The project itself promotes the implementation of these international standards and builds on the progress and work already carried out at national level. Relevant national standards and policies include the Law no. 338 of 15.12.1994 on the rights of the child, Decision No. 434 of 10.06.2014 on the approval of the Child Protection Strategy for the years 2014-2020, the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2017-2020, as well as the conclusions and recommendations of the Roundtable “Implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse: Challenges and Best Practices”.

Objectives

The overall objective of the project is to support the Republic of Moldova by strengthening the State’s response to address child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse through an increased implementation and compliance of policies, legislation and practices with the Council of Europe and other international standards in this area, in particular the Lanzarote Convention, as well as by strengthening the capacities of relevant professionals and raising awareness.

The project’s expected results and activities build on the findings of the Lanzarote Committee and the outcomes of the roundtable jointly organised jointly by the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova (February 2018) to discuss ongoing challenges and good practices for an efficient implementation of the Lanzarote Convention.


 More detailed information on the Programme hub page of the Council of Europe Chisinau office

News on the Republic of Moldova

Republic of Moldova: Council of Europe-ECPAT Country Overview highlights the need for more resources to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation

4 May 2023 Strasbourg/Chisinau

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...

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Conference for social workers on the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention

26 February 2020 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

A national conference is taking place in Chisinau on strengthening the capacities of social workers on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (Lanzarote Convention) in the Republic of Moldova. The...

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Call for Consultants for a Review of training strategies and materials for Law Enforcement, Judges and Prosecutors and development of a pilot training module

27 June 2019 Strasbourg

While the exact number of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) victims is unknown, reports show that tens of thousands of children, of all ages, fall victim to OCSEA each year. This crime is often transnational in nature and ever evolving. To ensure effective investigation and...

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Stakeholders and experts exploring ways to strengthen the coordination and implementation mechanisms of the Lanzarote Convention in the Republic of Moldova

31 May 2019 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

A field research mission of the mapping study on the effective implementation of the Lanzarote Convention in the Republic of Moldova concludes today by a de-briefing workshop organised for key stakeholders in Chisinau by the Council of Europe project on Protecting children from sexual...

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Events

Back Kiko’s exciting adventures continue in the digital age

New Kiko and the Manymes video and storybook for young children are out!
Kiko’s exciting adventures continue in the digital age

The Council of Europe project to End Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse@Europe (EndOCSEA@Europe) is happy to announce the launch of the new adventures of our beloved character friend Kiko who is now discovering screens and the misuse of pictures in the online environment in the video and storybook of Kiko and the Manymes. It also features Pipa, Kiko’s friend and confidant, the “magic whistle”, Skrin and the Manymes, who misuse Kiko’s pictures. 

The objective of Kiko and the Manymes is twofold. Firstly, this campaign is addressed to adults, with a focus on parents and caregivers of children 4-7 years old, teaching them how to protect their children and avoid their exposure to phones with video and photo cameras or a webcam. Secondly, the experience of Kiko with screens in the book, which also present  “the golden rules of screens”, provide a basic set of rules to empower children to protect their privacy and their image in the online environment.

These awareness-raising tools are currently available in English and will be translated shortly in French and Spanish as well as in the 10 languages of the EndOCSEA@Europe Project beneficiary countries, in order to reach a wide audience. 

Why this initiative?

1 in 3 internet users worldwide is a child. Numbers are on the rise. While information and communication technologies bring many benefits to children, they also put children at risk, including very young children. 

The age of users and potential victims of abuse continues to lower, with very young children being more exposed to harm. Children as young as 2 are using internet-enabled devices via gaming, entertainment and educational games and children of 5 to 7 years of age are using in-game messaging, voice and text chats. 

Young children are particularly exposed to child sexual abuse and exploitation online with 28% of victims being below the age of 11. Nude and semi-nude pictures of children are regularly posted online by adults.

In some cases, very young children are groomed, deceived or extorted into producing and sharing a sexual image or video of themselves, sometimes in the child’s own room. This content may then be traded and exchanged, perpetuating a particularly pernicious form of child sexual exploitation and abuse which is on the rise. It is very difficult for victims to seek help and very challenging for law enforcement to identify the victims, prosecute the abusers and remove the content from the Internet. 

Let’s keep children safe! Come and discover more about Kiko’s brand new adventure. 

Acknowledgements:

The Council of Europe gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided for this programme by the End Violence Fund

Kiko and the Manymes Video

Kiko and the Manymes Storybook

Kiko and the Manymes Advice for Parents

Strasbourg 20 November 2020
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