INCIDENCE OF SEXUAL ABUSES AGAINST CHILDREN GROWING IN MOLDOVA - PROSECUTOR

The number of sexual crimes against children in internet is growing in Moldova, said Acting Deputy Head of the Prosecution Service for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases Sergiu Russu at the Monday’s press conference.

He said that in total, 128 criminal cases were started in this field over the last 4 years.

“Most frequent are cases of children pornography. If in 2018 there were 25 such crimes, over 9 months of 2019 their number already reached 30. In 2018 there were three registered cases of trafficking children for sexual exploitation in 2018, as well as in 2019”, the prosecutor said, stressing that the press conference is dedicated to the European Day Against Child Sexual Abuse Online.

He called on parents and the elderly relatives to be attentive to when, how much, and, most important, what kind of internet resources are accessed by teenagers.

“Criminals in informational space are setting traps for children. Through fake profiles of well-known people they propose friendship and communication to children, get close to them. This may take up to months. The children are requested their photos of intimate nature, or propose them to make such photos. Then, criminals start blackmailing children with these pictures. Crimes against children in online regime are hidden, children often do not want to disclose their contacts. There are facts of sexual abuse against children from the side of tutors or relatives”, Russu said.

He stressed that after the development of informational technologies, the phenomenon of sexual abuse and the spreading of confidential information, derogatory and offensive messages, this phenomenon is spreading.

The prosecutor confirmed that in Moldova the punishment for spreading child pornography is of only 3 years.

“In France, victimizers, abusers and those who spread pornographic photos or videos with children may be sentenced to 7 and more years, as well as fined hundreds of thousands of euros”, the prosecutor said.

According to Russu, measures taken by legislators for protecting children from sexual exploitation via Internet lag much behind informational technologies development.

“This lagging accounts for 4 to 5 times. The reduction of this difference through improvement of legal acts will allow fighting more successfully against the above-mentioned phenomenon”, the law enforcement officer maintains.