World
New EU rules will criminalise 'paedophilia handbooks' and deepfakes
The European Commission has proposed updated rules that expand the definition of child sexual abuse and lengthen the statute of limitations.
ADVERTISEMENTThe revision of the 2011 directive, unveiled on Tuesday afternoon, attempts to close the loopholes opened by the sudden advent of artificial intelligence, which has enabled criminals to produce synthetic images of child abuse and evade law enforcement.
One in every five children in Europe is estimated to be a victim of some form of sexual abuse or exploitation. The scourge is pervasive and insidious: 1.5 million cases were reported in 2022, compared to one million in 2020.
“With the high speed of development of the digital area era, we really need to keep up the pace,” said Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, who said the framework would be “future-proof” to avoid submitting a revised text every time a new technology disrupts the market.
Under the updated directive, the definition of child sexual abuse is significantly expanded to prosecute the production and dissemination of deepfakes and AI-generated material, as well as the live-streaming of abusive acts.
The new rules also aim to crack down on so-called “paedophile handbooks,” manuals that describe how to approach, coax and manipulate children and later hide the evidence.
According to Johansson, only two out of the 27 member states currently treat the production and distribution of these handbooks as a punishable crime. The revised directive will criminalise them all across the bloc.
Additionally, Brussels wants to expand the statute of limitations to give victims greater time to report the abuse and bring perpetrators to justice. The statute for the most serious offenses will run for at least 30 years after the victim comes of age.
“Sarah was a young ice skater when she was raped (for) two years by her coach, who kept her under hold,” Johansson said, recalling the experience of a victim.
“She had 30 years of repressed memory and many other psychological hardships that made it impossible for her to report. When she was finally able to speak (up), it was too late because of the statute of limitations in France.”
The proposal will now undergo negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament, a process set to be slowed down by the June elections.
Tuesday’s announcement comes amid a prolonged legislative battle over a separate law that lays down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse online, which would oblige digital providers to scan private communications between users, including encrypted messages, to detect and report unlawful content.
The regulation, unveiled in May 2022, is vehemently opposed by digital rights advocates, who claim it will instigate a mass surveillance regime and spell the end of digital privacy as we know it. But supporters say failure to pass the law would leave criminals undetected and Big Tech unchecked.
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By James McManagan, Paul Sonne, Malachy Browne and Jackeline Luna
June 19, 2026
World
Man charged with attempted murder, released after allegedly forcing toddler into crocodile enclosure at zoo
Man FORCES child into crocodile enclosure
A British man has been arrested after allegedly forcing a 3-year-old boy into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo. The child suffered critical injuries, and authorities say the suspect did not know the boy as the investigation continues.
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A man was released from custody on Friday after he was charged with attempted murder for allegedly forcing a 3-year-old boy into a crocodile enclosure at a zoo.
Cambridgeshire police said that the man, who remains unidentified, wasn’t fit to be interviewed.
The boy suffered critical injuries in the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Huntingdon, England, north of London.
The 30-year-old man will remain on bail until Sept. 30, pending further inquiries.
GEORGIA MOM’S WALMART TRIP DEVOLVES INTO ‘TUG-OF-WARRING’ IN DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SAVE HER SON
A crocodile rests inside an enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst, a farm and zoo in Old Hurst, Cambridgeshire, Britain, on April 14, 2026. (Dorota Dee Trajdos/Reuters)
“The man, who is not known to the victim, was assessed as not being fit for interview,” police said in a statement.
The boy is in stable condition, after reportedly suffering a broken arm and pelvis.
He was saved from the crocodile by Tracey Johnson, the wife of the zoo’s owner.
MOTHER JUMPS INTO WATER TO SAVE 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO FELL BETWEEN CRUISE SHIP AND DOCK
“I know Tracey very well and she’s a lovely lady and it’s nothing more than I’d expect from her,” a local told BBC News. “She’d always put her own life at risk to save someone else. She’s an extraordinary lady and very brave.
The villager added that Johnson put herself in “immense danger” during the rescue.
The owners said their tropical house would remain closed until further notice.
Crocodiles rest inside an enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst farm and zoo in Old Hurst, Cambridgeshire, Britain, on April 14, 2026. (Dorota Dee Trajdos/Reuters)
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the boy and his family following the incident that occurred today,” the owners wrote on social media.
Johnsons of Old Hurst is a farm and zoo north of London in Huntingdon, England. (Google Maps)
Huntingdonshire district councillor Charlotte Lowe said she couldn’t “fathom how it’s happened because they’ve got all the right protection and safety equipment, for want of a better word, in there,” The Guardian reported.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Cambridgeshire Constabulary for comment.
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US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his comments on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying she asked him “over and over” for a photo when the pair met at the G7 summit in France earlier this week.
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Following the summit, Trump told an Italian journalist that he “felt sorry for Meloni” after she “begged me to take a picture with her”.
Meloni hit back in a video posted to social media, branding Trump’s claims as “completely made up” and insisting that neither she nor Italy begs anyone for anything.
The once close pair’s relationship has grown increasingly fractious in recent months, particularly since Rome refused to provide the US support for its operations in Iran and after Meloni defended Pope Leo XIV, who was criticised by the Trump administration over his remarks on the war and the US’s immigration policies.
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asked, over and over, for a picture with me during the G-7 meeting in France,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Saturday. “She is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America, a Country that truly loves and protects Italy, when it came to denying Iran from obtaining or developing a Nuclear Weapon”.
“Now, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her “numbers up.” No thanks!!!” Trump added.
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