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This site contains sensitive content that includes references to sexual violence.
15 years of the Lanzarote Convention: hope, dignity and progress
For far too long, child sexual abuse was something whispered about, hidden, denied, or if dealt with at all it was behind closed doors. Fifteen years ago, something quietly powerful happened in Europe that changed the course of child protection forever. But for those of us who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse, something monumental had taken place: the Lanzarote Convention officially came into force. The Lanzarote Convention began to shatter the silence. This comprehensive Convention marked the first time in human history that nations gathered to focus solely on tackling sexual violence against children. Its full title is a bit dry: “The Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse”. Called the Lanzarote Convention because nations were first invited to sign it on the peaceful island of Lanzarote, and for those who did, its commanding measures came into force in 2010. Since 2010, 48 countries have ratified the Lanzarote Convention—and with that signature, each nation committed to putting children first. They agreed to take real, practical steps: training teachers, doctors, and police officers; protecting children online; criminalising grooming and live-streamed abuse; and ensuring children can testify in safe, trauma-informed ways. I’ve witnessed how the Convention has led to tangible reforms—interviews with child victims now recorded to spare them the trauma of repeating testimony; specialised police units trained to sensitively handle abuse cases; public campaigns educating parents and children about grooming and digital safety. Every country that joins the Lanzarote Convention sends a message: that child protection isn’t optional. If your country hasn’t yet ratified the Lanzarote Convention, be kind.
June 25, 2025
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Standing with survivors: My call to strengthen EU child protection laws
Imagine being the victim of a crime so traumatising it takes you years, even decades, to be able to tell anyone about it. Then imagine that when you are finally able to do so, nothing can be done. You are told it is too late for justice.
June 17, 2025
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Digital futures, safe childhoods: Prioritizing child protection in Africa’s budgets
Governments across Africa must urgently plan and budget now for children's safety in our increasingly digital world
June 16, 2025
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Why the G7 must prioritize childhood sexual violence: A survivor’s call from Jamaica to the world
As a survivor, I speak with the weight of lived experience. As an advocate, I speak for the countless children whose voices are still silenced
June 5, 2025
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From awareness to action: Why Every G7 country needs a national action plan to end childhood sexual violence
Seven of the richest nations do not have a complete national action plan - that includes prevention, healing and justice - to address childhood sex abuse
June 5, 2025
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Time for justice - why Europe must unite to make sure child sex abusers never escape
A statute of limitation in relation to childhood sexual violence defines the maximum amount of time a victim can wait before starting legal proceedings against the perpetrators. Setting this limit for survivors of childhood sexual abuse is harmful as it means that many do not recieve justice if they can’t speak up within the imposed deadline, which is usually an arbitrary amount of time. Governments retaining these harmful statutes of limitation for survivors of childhood sexual abuse is not only deeply unfair to victims but dangerous for future generations and extremely costly for society. For these reasons it's not surprising that the complete elimination of statutes of limitations in relation to childhood sexual violence of is one of the highest priorities of the global survivor movement. Unfortunately for them, evidence obtained from countries that have no statutes of limitations in relation to childhood sexual violence disprove that claim. There are some types of evidence that survive the passage of time such as a criminals' confessions, DNA, child sex abuse material, the internal archives of institutions that have shielded abusers (i.e. catholic church, boy scouts) or multiple victims who describe the same modus operandi committed by a common perpetrator. The European commission and the European Parliament want to change this outrageous situation by including a legally binding common standard on the new directive against child sexual abuse. On Tuesday 17th of June, the European Parliament will vote their proposal to establish in the new directive that there should be no criminal or civil statute of limitations in child sexual abuse cases.
June 4, 2025
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Youth-led social change: Creating a generation of empowered digital citizens
Sexual violence is often shrouded in silence due to cultural taboos, and online-assisted crimes against children and young people face similar stigma. Girls and young women, who are disproportionately targeted by online violence, experience societal discrimination, making it even harder for them to speak out or seek help. Online child sexual exploitation and abuse of children, especially young girls, is on the rise. Young girls are most vulnerable to online exploitation due to societal power imbalances and limited access to digital literacy programs. Young change makers use their own personal social media platforms to share relatable, anonymized stories, demystifying digital threats and empower young people to recognize, resist, and report abuse. They teach others about: Violence: sextortion that happens via messaging apps, grooming through fake social media accounts and AI- generated images of minors Responsible internet use: encouraging privacy settings and secure passwords, not to share or forward explicit content, understanding consent in the digital space, discouraging participation in online bullying, shaming, and knowing how to verify information sources as an essential digital literacy skill Guidance to peers experiencing abuse: listening without judgment, recognizing signs of online abuse, knowing when and how to refer peers to trusted adults or support systems, and promoting the ACSAI reporting hotline The program’s success lies in its participatory approach, ensuring that young people are not just recipients of information but active contributors in shaping solutions. At least 40 cases of online abuse have been reported through the ACSAI hotline with support from E-Changemakers Over 32 instances of child sexual abuse material and non-consensual intimate image content have been successfully removed through a range of trusted reporting mechanisms. These young ambassadors play a critical role** in: Educating peers on how to report abuse Facilitating the removal of intimate images and child sexual abuse material Advocating for a safer digital environment By working alongside young people and survivors, we have successfully co-created solutions with them. We have transformed the narrative: young people are not just spectators but active participants in creating a safer digital world. * When a report is been made to the ACSAI hotline (www.acsaing.org/report), ACSAI's trained Internet Content Analyst verifies and classifies the content as CSAM or IIA (intimate image abuse).
May 28, 2025
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We can end violence against children - here’s the proof from the last seven days
Three countries, three big wins in the last seven days in the fight to end violence against children.
May 20, 2025
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Survivors expect Pope Leo XIV to build bridges to justice and reform
As a Jamaican survivor of clergy sexual abuse, I have witnessed that cover-ups and systemic failures continue to plague the Church globally. The certainty that any clergy member found guilty of sexual abuse will be permanently removed from ministry will pave the way for a Christ-centered Church, restoring trust and transparency. A Global Survivors Council, with the authority to oversee and enforce compliance with the zero- tolerance law, would be a profound indicator that the Church is ready to confront this clergy abuse crisis with genuine accountability. Survivors now look with expectation that he will ensure the evil of clergy sexual abuse will no longer prevail.
May 16, 2025
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