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WORLD NEWS Saturday 25 July 2020
E.U. unveils plans to step up fight against child sexual abuse

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN spread of the coronavi- son, said two-thirds of child
Associated Press rus have exacerbated the sexual abuse content is
BRUSSELS (AP) — Worried problem for children who hosted in the European
by an alarming spike in spent more time online and Union, specifically in the
child sexual abuse before were more vulnerable to Netherlands. Dutch Justice
and during the coronavirus predators in isolation. and Security Minister Ferd
pandemic, the European "In many cases, children Grapperhaus proposed
Union's executive arm un- are sexually abused by per- legislation this week to
veiled plans Friday for a sons they know and trust, make the possession or dis-
center devoted to prevent- and on whom they are de- semination of instructions
ing the mistreatment of pendent," the commission for how to hunt and groom
children and for legislation said in its plans. "This makes children for sexual abuse
requiring online platforms these crimes particularly punishable by a prison sen-
to report child pornogra- difficult to prevent and de- tence of up to four years.
phy. tect." The European Commission
Under the European Com- Reports of online child sex- plans to propose next year European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson listens
mission's plans, the center ual abuse in the EU have in- legislation requiring online to a question during an online news conference with European
Commissioner for Promoting our European Way of Life Margari-
would help coordinate creased from 23,000 in 2010 platforms to detect and re- tas Schinas at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Friday, July 24,
actions among the EU's 27 to more than 725,000 in port the sharing of child sex 2020.
nations in the areas of law 2019, according to figures abuse images, Johansson Associated Press
enforcement, deterrence from the National Center said, She said about 80%
and assistance for victims for Missing and Exploited of the illegal material re- egy for the next five years, of cocaine were seized last
of child sex abuse. The Children relayed by the EU. ported to authorities is pro- the EU also plans to develop year and that the produc-
commission did not provide International police agen- vided by Facebook on a a plan to tackle illicit drug tion of synthetic drugs in
a timeline, but said it will im- cy Interpol has reported a voluntary basis. and firearms trafficking. Jo- the bloc has reached "in-
mediately launch discus- surge in the online distribu- As part of its security strat- hansson said that 100 tons dustrial scale.''q
sions with member states tion of explicit sexual im-
and EU lawmakers. ages of children during the
The commission said the pandemic.
center would be similar A similar increase has been
to the National Center for noticed globally, with re-
Missing and Exploited Chil- ports of child abuse world-
dren, a U.S. nonprofit refer- wide rising from 1 million
ence center which helps to almost 17 million during
families when a child goes 2010-2019 and about 70
missing and exploited vic- million images of children
tims. being sexually abused
The commission pointed identified.
out that lockdowns im- The EU commissioner for
posed to slow down the home affairs, Ylva Johans-

Vietnam bans wildlife

imports, markets amid

new health fears

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — are used in traditional med-
Vietnam announced Fri- icine or in preparing exotic
day that it was banning cuisine. The move comes
wildlife imports and would amid increased scrutiny of
close wildlife markets in the health risks of the wild-
response to renewed con- life trade as the world deals
cerns about the threat with the new coronavirus,
from diseases that can which is thought to have
jump from animals to hu- jumped from animals to hu-
mans, such as the virus that mans. "COVID-19 elevated
causes COVID-19. the issue of wildlife trade,
An order signed by Prime so Vietnamese lawmakers
Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc got involved with the issue
on Thursday bans all imports in the past few months and
of wildlife dead or alive helped push the directive
and includes eggs and lar- forward," he said.
vae. It also merits tougher The directive is not perfect
penalties for crimes involv- as it still has exceptions that
ing the trade in wildlife. will allow some trade in wild
Vietnam has been a popu- animals to continue, but it
lar destination for wildlife is a good start and can
products — often from en- hopefully made stronger
dangered species — that over time, Galster said.q