MEPs discuss about sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children, a report by Roberta ANGELILLI (EPP, IT), rapporteur with Stefan DE CLERCK, on behalf the Belgian Presidency, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

debate

fight against child sex crimes (T)

ALBRECHT, Jan Philipp (Greens/EFA, DE)

PICKART ALVARO, Alexander Nuno (ALDE, DE)

DE CLERCK, Stefaan (BE)

Sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children: extracts from the report by Roberta ANGELILLI (EPP, IT), rapporteur

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Roberta ANGELILLI (EPP, IT), rapporteur, I know this it is an issue that the Council sees as being an priority and there are still some critical points basically due to the differences in the legal systems that exists and due to the criminal law previsions in the 27 MS, but none of the less work is being done on reaching a solution.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Presidency, The objectives appear to be straight forward at first glance but technically and legally its difficult to take into account the different systems in the MS and arrive at a common approach, but what we wish to do is to harmonise definitions and also the level of sanctions, because there are 17 different offences, they all differ in nature and in degree. This is very ambitious and quite comprehensive and far reaching, but I think we need to move forward in that way.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Presidency, For certain offenses the Council introduced a distinction, whether the child victim had reached the age of majority or not. And the 2nd point, discussed in October, is that the Council looked at the scope excluding certain forms of behaviour that is what can be viewed as being part of a sexual exploration amongst child, the child pear that is behaviour can be viewed as being normal. So the distinction is that we don't want to create vulnerability or create sort of a hunt of children of the same age.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Stefaan DE CLERCK, Belgian Presidency, The fact is that the principle of exchange or having mutual ban and recognizing sentences that done in other country, that way we want to make ensure that a person is been convicted can't easily to a different MS and can't exercises activities involving children.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander ALVARO (ALDE, DE), The discussion if websites shall be deleted or blocked is may be something if we necessarily of the EU have to engage, what we should do is that we ask MS to do efficient, possible measurement to undertake those and to cope with the situation and the problem, blocking apparently is not too efficient because child pornography is around.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jan Philipp ALBRECHT (Greens/EFA, DE), It is a political matter whether to bloc or to delete, deletion apparently doesn't work because cooperating with the countries mostly hosting the sites, like USA, isnt't working. It seems to me unless the EP and the Council can come to an adequate position nothing is going to happen.