World

EU victims of child sexual abuse face ‘postcode lottery’ of injustice

Published

1 year ago

July 20, 2023

EU victims of child sexual abuse face ‘postcode lottery’ of injustice

Many European countries are failing to deliver justice to survivors of child sexual abuse, according to a report released on Thursday.

The report by Brave Movement and Child Global, leading international advocacy groups for protecting children from sexual abuse, calls for the abolition of statutes of limitation (SOLs) for all types of child sexual violence and abuse.

SOLs limit the amount of time a victim has to launch criminal proceedings after the crime has been committed and leave authorities in many European countries unable to expose sex abuse offenders or deliver justice to survivors.

According to the groups’ analysis of relevant judicial frameworks, Luxembourg, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Portugal, Lithuania, Finland, Slovakia and Bulgaria are the worst offenders. In these countries, victims of all or most child sexual abuse are unable to report the crime after reaching the age of 40.

Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Slovenia and Latvia are in the second tier, where the statute of limitations runs out after the victim reaches 40, even though the average age of disclosure of abuse is over 50.

Ireland, Cyprus, Denmark and Belgium are the only EU countries where victims can report all or most child sex offences regardless of the amount of time that has passed since the crime was committed.

Child sexual abuse is a public health ‘epidemic’ in Europe, the report says. One in five children in Europe today suffers some kind of sexual violence in their lives, the equivalent of 16 million children in the 27 EU member states.

‘A fundamental human right’

Short criminal statutes of limitations silence victims, perpetuating their trauma and stigma and contributing to a public health crisis that costs Europe billions.

“Effective access to justice for survivors of child sexual violence should not be an optional luxury but a fundamental human right. But all over Europe survivors are denied justice because of arbitrary criminal and civil statute of limitations,” said Miguel Hurtado, survivor, child psychiatrist and Brave movement co-founder.

“We urge European nations to take this historic opportunity to endorse the gold standard for child protection: complete abolition of criminal and civil statute of limitations for the sake of future generations,” he added.

Brave Movement co-founder Dr Matthew McVarish spoke at the Council of Europe in May about his own abuse at the hands of his uncle, and being able to finally seek justice aged 25.

“My uncle sexually abused me and three of my brothers throughout our childhood, and after a decade of therapy I finally felt able to approach the police in Scotland. I had to break my silence because my uncle was still teaching, and abusing, countless other boys,” he said.

“Thankfully I was allowed to press charges, but if my uncle had abused us in various other European nations, he would simply not have been arrested. A repeat child sex offender, with four known victims, would be left to continue working in schools, despite authorities being fully aware that he is a definite threat to other children.”

“We are the children who were abused, and we will not let another decade pass before the people with the power to change what must change take the action that only they can. We ask you, on behalf of your children, to change this now.”

The report also proposes that the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention, which aims to protect children against sexual exploitation and abuse, is amended to eliminate criminal limitation periods in child sexual offences across all of its member states.

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World

Timothy Hutton Settles Lawsuit Against Leverage Producers for Cutting Him Out of Revival (Report)

Published

34 minutes ago

December 4, 2024

Press Room

Timothy Hutton Settles Lawsuit Against Leverage Producers for Cutting Him Out of Revival (Report)

Timothy Hutton ‘Leverage’ Lawsuit Settlement, ‘Redemption’ Revival

World

South Korean leader facing mounting calls to resign or be impeached over martial law

Published

1 hour ago

December 4, 2024

Press Room

South Korean leader facing mounting calls to resign or be impeached over martial law

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday was facing pressure from legislators and the public to step down or be impeached after he ended a martial law, which led to troops encircling parliament, that he called for just hours earlier.

Yoon’s senior advisers and secretaries offered to collectively resign. The president’s Cabinet members, including Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, were also facing calls to resign. All members of the South Korean State Council reportedly expressed their intention to resign.

On Tuesday night, Yoon abruptly imposed martial law and pledged to eliminate “anti-state” forces after he struggled to move his agenda through the opposition-dominated parliament. The martial law, however, was only in effect for about six hours since the National Assembly voted to overrule the president’s decision.

The martial law was formally lifted during a cabinet meeting at around 4:30 a.m.

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT LIFTS MARTIAL LAW AFTER LAWMAKERS REJECT MOVE

People watch a TV screen showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol televised briefing at a bus terminal in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Lawmakers submitted a motion to impeach the president over his martial law declaration.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the parliament, threatened earlier in the day that its lawmakers would move to impeach the president if he did not resign immediately.

“President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by any requirements to declare it,” the Democratic Party said in a statement. “His martial law declaration was originally invalid and a grave violation of the constitution. It was a grave act of rebellion and provides perfect grounds for his impeachment.”

WHY DID YOON’S PARTY LOSE IN SOUTH KOREA’S ELECTIONS AND WHAT TROUBLES DOES HE FACE NOW?

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a pre-recorded interview with KBS television at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (South Korea Presidential Office via AP, File)

Impeaching the president would require the approval of two-thirds of the parliament’s 300 members. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties together make up 192 seats. But 18 lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party cast ballots opposing the president’s decision when the parliament rejected Yoon’s martial law declaration in a 190-0 vote.

The leader of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hun, criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration as “unconstitutional.”

If Yoon is impeached, he will not have his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court can rule on his fate. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the second in command in the South Korean government, would take over his presidential responsibilities.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol waves to joint meeting of the US Congress

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol waves as he arrives to address a joint meeting of Congress, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Amid calls for Yoon’s Cabinet to resign, Han issued a public message asking for patience and calling for Cabinet members to “fulfill your duties even after this moment.”

Yoon’s martial law declaration was the first of its kind in more than 40 years. Scenes of military intervention had not been seen since South Korea achieved genuine democracy in the late 1980s.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

World

The Take: Why is Biden going to Angola?

Published

2 hours ago

December 4, 2024

Press Room

Podcast, The Take

The US aims to grow its influence in sub-Saharan Africa.

Angola has rolled out the red carpet for US President Joe Biden’s last-ditch trip to Africa. With just over a month left in office, what does Biden’s trip reveal about the US scramble to reassert itself in the continent?

In this episode:

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker and Sonia Bhagat with Sarí el-Khalili, Hagir Saleh, Duha Mosaad, Cole van Miltenberg and our host, Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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