Brussels, 29/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 29 March, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmström, proposed two new draft directives to toughen up sanctions against trafficking in human beings, exploitation, sexual abuse against children and child pornography. During the presentation of the two proposals, the Commissioner declared that the EU response had to contain optimum clarity and not pull any punches, “whatever the action the Union takes against these scourges, the EU must act and act again”.
The Commission today proposed EU rules that would oblige EU Member States to act on the three fronts of prosecuting criminals responsible for trafficking human beings, protecting the victims and preventing the offences. In sanctions, each member states will have to punish recruitment, transport, transferring, sheltering or harbouring people, either through threats or other means of force. These offences could receive prison sentences of no less than five to ten years in aggravating circumstances (particularly vulnerable victims) if the life of the victim is in danger or if serious violence has been committed. The Commission will also soon take steps to appoint an EU "Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinator to make the EU anti-trafficking policy more efficient, visible and coherent, including in relation to addressing root causes and working with third countries. The Commission will also soon take steps to appoint an EU "Anti-Trafficking Co-ordinator to make the EU anti-trafficking policy more efficient, visible and coherent, including in relation to addressing root causes and working with third countries.
With regard to the proposal on the sexual exploitation of children, exposing minors to sexual exploitation without necessarily their having taken part could be punishable by a minimum prison sentence of two years. Sexual activities with children will be prison sentences of no less than five years. In aggravated circumstances, these sentences could be increased to a minimum of eight years, when force is used, for example. Although the proposal aims to toughen sanctions against people guilty of child sexual abuse, the Commission is also requesting that “grooming” (making friends with children in an effort to have sexual relations with them) and “sex tourism” be subject to prison sentences, even if abuse is committed outside EU territory. The Commission also wants to compel EU countries to block access to child pornography on the internet and take more measures to prevent offences being committed and protect victims. It is seeking to ensure that the perpetrators of such offences receive treatment to prevent them reoffending. The two new draft directives are based on 2009 legislative proposals (EUROPE 9868). Due to the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty, these initial proposals had to be reworked. Overall, these two new proposals reviewed minimum sentences downwards, particularly for aggravating circumstances but provide clearer definition of what these offences involve, particularly with regard to child pornographic content and its link with information technology. (B.C.)