National Strategy
It seeks to determine the extent and the proportions of this social problem and identify the priorities for its proper management.
It seeks to determine the extent and the proportions of this social problem and identify the priorities for its proper management.
National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and Child Pornography 2025-2028 (PDF)
National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and Child Pornography 2021-2023 (PDF)
National Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and Child Pornography 2016-2019 (PDF)
“All children must have the opportunity to grow up in safety, equipped with all the means that will allow them to develop healthy relationships, without having to face any form of sexual exploitation or abuse, free from any form of sexual harm.” This is the primary objective of the National Strategy.
The National Strategy embraces the philosophy and guidance of the Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse of Children (2007), known as the Lanzarote Convention, which was ratified by the House of Representatives and is implemented in Cyprus since the 1st of June 2015. The Lanzarote Convention is the most comprehensive legislative instrument for addressing the phenomenon at global level, aiming to implement policies, measures, actions and interventions founded on evidence-based practices. This is achieved by mobilizing, in the most effective way, human and financial resources from all realms of society, with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
According to relevant data and research, the phenomenon of sexual abuse is on the rise, both in Cyprus and the rest of the world. Research across Europe has documented that one in five children will suffer some form of sexual abuse or exploitation before they reach adulthood. On the basis of these findings, the Council of Europe enacted the Lanzarote Convention, recognizing that the phenomenon of child sexual abuse and exploitation cannot be treated simply as a matter of “crime and punishment”, but as a social phenomenon which affects and must therefore involve all realms of society without exception.
Therefore, the National Strategy and Action Plans to Combat Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and Child Pornography seek to determine the extent and the proportions of this social problem, identifying the priorities for its proper management and defining the necessary actions and policies to protect children and young people from the most heinous crimes that can take place in a society.
The sexual abuse and exploitation of children affects their childhood, often irreparably, and has a negative impact on their healthy emotional and psychological development. Negative effects may include the emergence of strong feelings such as betrayal, powerlessness, stigmatization and guilt, as well as traumatize the sexuality of the victims. This results in great difficulties throughout their entire life, amongst others when it comes to creating and/or maintaining balanced relationships, due precisely to the disruption to their mental health and/or other problems related to the abuse they have suffered.
For many victims, the consequences of these crimes can be devastating, often scarring them for the rest of their lives. A child growing up in an environment of sexual abuse and/or exploitation is expected to face severe psychosomatic and other difficulties in their journey to becoming a healthy adult.
Society undoubtedly has a moral responsibility as well as the obligation to do everything in its power to eradicate this heinous phenomenon, while ensuring that all children can grow up in conditions of security and safety.
The National Strategy was drafted with due regard to the following: