On the evening of Monday 13 November, the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee (LIBE) adopted the report by Anna Maria Corazza Bildt (EPP, Sweden) on the implementation of the 2011 directive on tackling sexual abuse against children and child pornography.
Just before the vote on her report, adopted almost unanimously with 46 votes in favour, 1 vote against, with 1 abstention, the rapporteur stated, “We obtained a text that sends a very clear message to member states: we need to do better and more quickly if we are to obtain genuine zero tolerance”.
The 2011 directive provides member states with minimum standards on sanctions and measures necessary to prevent abuse and protect victims. The member states had until 18 December 2013 to transpose these rules into their national law. Following a resolution of March 2015 on online sexual abuse committed against children (see EUROPE 11273), the LIBE committee requested the authorisation to draft a report on implementing this directive.
In their report, MEPs highlight the domains in which member states should take more action, namely: cooperation in investigations and pursuits; enhancing assistance and protection for victims; prevention; blocking and eliminating online child pornography, a provision that was transposed by only half of all member states.
The report, however, also recommends that member states go beyond the simple obligation of transposing the directive and encourages them to share their good practices. It also includes new forms of offences, such as revenge pornography, sexual blackmail and grooming, which are increasingly more widespread on the Internet.
It should be pointed out that the attempts by certain MEPs at the ECR to integrate into the text the links between child sexual abuse and adoption by homosexual couples were rejected. The LIBE committee effectively rejected the amendments calling on member states to re-examine and withdraw, “Their harmful legislation against children, which allows homosexual couples to adopt”. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)