Commissioner for Human Rights

A former Belgian bishop recently trivialised his sexual abuse of two of his nephews by insisting he was not a paedo-criminal. During a television interview he brushed aside several years of sexual abuse of a dependent child as “a small relationship”.

The statements by the bishop provoked wide condemnation and rage. When the bishop first admitted his acts about a year ago hundreds of persons came forward claiming they had been victims of sexual abuse by priests within the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium.

The media reports on the scandals involving clergy in the sexual abuse of children in several countries have highlighted an urgent child rights issue. Such incidents are not isolated: they have been widespread in all kinds of childcare institutions, whether they have been run by different religious communities, private foundations or by state or municipal authorities. Among the victims are children with disabilities, orphans and those coming from dysfunctional families.

But even more frequent are the cases of abuse perpetrated behind the family door. Very often the abuser is someone on whom the victim depends in one way or another. Most child pornography and sexual abuse is perpetrated at home, in a bedroom.

In Sweden, the police just concluded an investigation concerning child pornography. The case is unique in that 23 of the 25 persons involved are women. All of them are accused of receiving child pornography and some also of supplying pictures. The age of the women ranges from 40 to 70, some of them have children and grandchildren of their own.

The Head of the Child Protection Team of the Swedish National Bureau of Investigation said that we must now be aware that women, who we tend to see primarily as victims, might very well be fully fledged perpetrators.

A political priority

Cases such as these are an indication that abuse is widespread. This is also a signal to politicians, the judiciary and churches that actions taken so far have not been sufficient. Sexual assault against children is an urgent human rights issue and fighting it should be a political priority.

As it is such a painful and unacceptable occurrence adults too often prefer to look the other way. This is also why it is important to know that abusers tend to go from one child to the next if not stopped.

What can be done?

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child treats sexual abuse of children as a crime, irrespective of where and by whom it is committed. There should be no impunity for these crimes.

One of the most important steps to prevent abuse is to organise regular, continuous training for professionals working for and with children. They have to be aware of the risk of abuse and recognise the signs of abusive relationships. They must know how to respond to suspicions of violations in a way that keeps children safe and ensures that their rights are respected.

Serious sex education in schools is vitally important. Children who are well informed will be more equipped to avoid the risks and escape dangerous situations.

The Council of Europe has adopted an important treaty: the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. It establishes standards for the effective protection of children, prevention of abusive acts and punishment of perpetrators. The Council of Europe has also launched a campaign which aims to provide tools for the prevention and reporting of sexual abuse, raising awareness and empowering parents, carers and children.

Break the silence

Very often the victims are afraid to report violations. They may be afraid of the consequences, especially when they are still dependent on the perpetrator(s) and they often experience feelings of shame and guilt. An abused child is extremely lonely and needs considerable courage to break the silence. More efforts should be made to create safe spaces in which children can talk with confidence about what is happening to them – with people who will believe them and respond in an appropriate manner.

Zero tolerance is crucial when it comes to any abuse of children.

Thomas Hammarberg