In the framework of the Council of Europe Project to End Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse @ Europe (EndOCSEA@Europe) and the Project on Targeting crime proceeds on the internet and securing electronic evidence in South East Europe and Turkey (iPROCEEDS-2), EndOCSEA experts, Ms Rajka Vlahovic, former Crown Prosecutor UK, Ms Maria Andriani Kostopoulou, Lawyer and Ms Victoria Baines, contributed to an online training on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse(OCSEA) addressed to Turkish magistrates. The training took place on 7-9 October 2020 and was opened by Mr Muhittin Ozdemir, President of the Justice Academy, Mr Cristian Urse, Head of Office, Council of Europe Office in Ankara, Mr Virgil Spiridon, Head of Operations, Council of Europe Cybercrime Programme Office ( C-PROC) and Mr Yasin Isik, Judge at the Turkish Justice Academy.
The objective of the training was to enhance the knowledge, skills and capacities of Turkish magistrates to improve their role during OCSEA-related proceedings and mechanisms including with regards to victims and witnesses of such crimes. For this purpose, EndOCSEA consultants presented key international standards and practices to tackle OCSEA in light to the Council of Europe Conventions on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) and on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention). EndOCSEA experts provided concrete information for Turkey in particular in relation to the definitions, trends and related criminal procedures on OCSEA, with a focus on:
- child sexual abuse material and grooming;
- investigations and measures for obtaining electronic evidence in the context of OCSEA;
- end to end victim and witness support during OCSEA investigations; and
- relevant actors of international cooperation mechanisms on preventing, and countering OCSEA.
The EndOCSEA@Europe project will continue to support capacity building activities for the project countries, including Turkey, by making available a pilot training module on OCSEA in 2021.
Acknowledgements:
The Council of Europe gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided for this programme by the Fund to End Violence Against Children.