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

Published

12 months 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

Outer Range Cancelled at Prime Video

Published

3 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

‘Outer Range’ Cancelled at Amazon Prime Video — No Season 3

World

Hurricane Beryl: Newlyweds among American tourists stuck in Jamaica as storm hits

Published

4 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Hurricane Beryl: Newlyweds among American tourists stuck in Jamaica as storm hits

Some American tourists are still stuck in Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl continues to pound the Caribbean Sea en route to Mexico.

Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 storm, has been making its way through the southeast Caribbean this week. The storm hit Jamaica on Wednesday.

Newlywed Casey Haley told Fox News Digital that she recently flew into Jamaica to celebrate her honeymoon. She and her husband got married on Saturday, and they arrived in the country on Sunday morning.

“We were originally told not to worry and that everything would be fine. Now they are doing lots of storm prep,” she explained.

HURRICANE SEASON BEARS DOWN AS BIPARTISAN LAWMAKERS PUSH TO DETACH FEMA FROM ‘PARTISAN’ DHS

American tourists, including newlyweds, are stuck in Jamaica during Hurricane Beryl. (Casey Haley)

The bride noticed people at their resort leaving on Monday evening. When she and her husband inquired about the situation to hotel staff, they were given mixed messages.

“Our room is on the 10th floor, you’re not supposed to stay up that high during [a] hurricane,” Haley said. “So we decided to find a safe place within our building. We found an inner stairwell that is away from all windows and doesn’t have a ton of ceiling above us.”

The couple was then moved to a conference room. Haley noted that the resort “seems a little frantic.”

“It was calm right up until this morning,” she said. “Lots of last minute boarding up and prep.”

“That’s when the reality of the situation set in, but we took a breath, said a prayer, and did all the prep we could,” she said. “The storm is hitting now, so we will likely be losing all contact soon.”

Casey Haley and husband smiling at table

Casey Haley and her husband were visiting Jamaica for their honeymoon when the storm hit. (Casey Haley)

Despite the uncertainty, Haley affirmed that she still hopes for the best.

MAN AND HIS DOG ELECTROCUTED IN FREAK ACCIDENT DURING THUNDERSTORM

“We feel prepared and we are prayerful,” she said. “Everything else is now out of our control and our goal is to respond to whatever happens with level heads.”

Tourist Kiki Barry, who is vacationing in Jamaica with her friend, told Fox News Digital that she was due to leave on Wednesday before Sangster International Airport (MBJ) closed due to the storm.

“We are in a safe place, they have converted the movie theater and convention center inside into a shelter,” she explained. “We have plenty [of] food, drinks, some indoor fans and portable air conditioners. We have movies and games the staff have planned.”

Kiki Barry, left, is currently in Jamaica with her friend as they wait out the storm. (Kiki Barry)

Barry added that she felt “calm but anxious,” and commended her hotel for keeping guests “in good spirits.”

“We had a very good trip, just ready to get home to our husbands and children,” she said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, at least six people have been killed amid the storm. AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter said he was “very concerned about a wide variety of life-threatening impacts in Jamaica.”

Tourist Kiki Barry told Fox News Digital that her hotel is keeping guests in good spirits with its movie theater. (Kiki Barry)

“[This is] the strongest and most dangerous hurricane threat that Jamaica has faced, probably, in decades,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

World

Bulgaria's parliament votes down centre-right minority government

Published

5 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Press Room

Bulgaria's parliament votes down centre-right minority government

The GERB party, which proposed the minority government, finished first in the June elections but has only 68 legislators in the 240-seat National Assembly.

Bulgaria’s parliament on Wednesday rejected a minority government proposed by the centre-right GERB party, likely bringing the country closer to new elections.

Lawmakers voted 138-98 to reject a proposal designed to make Rosen Zhelyazkov, a 56-year-old lawyer and former speaker of parliament, the next prime minister.

The GERB party, which proposed the minority government, finished first in the June elections but has only 68 legislators in the 240-seat National Assembly.

The party picked Zhelyazkov to head a new government over its leader, Boyko Borissov, who led three governments between 2009 and 2021. His third cabinet resigned following major anti-corruption protests.

The move comes after six elections over the last three years that resulted in shaky coalitions.

Although Borissov tried to find coalition partners in the fragmented legislature by refusing to become prime minister for a fourth time, his offer could not garner enough support.

The country’s president will now hand the next mandate for forming a government to the runner-up in the elections — the MRF party.

Analysts predict that after the first vote failed, it will be hard to cobble together a viable coalition in this parliament. The likely option is a new election, which will deepen the political crisis in the European Union’s poorest member country.