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CRCA raises the alarm/ Wake up! Images of children who are victims of sexual violence are being distributed in "Telegram".

2023-10-06 21:12:00, Aktualitet CNA

CRCA raises the alarm/ Wake up! Images of children who are victims of sexual

An online media platform has made public today, after the tracking and investigations that its journalists have carried out in the "Telegram" application, for groups of pedophiles and sexual predators, who distributed material containing sexual violence against children on one or several channels of Telegram.

According to the platform, the images belong to children who were sexually abused in Albania and then the materials were distributed on the Internet as trophies among adults.

The National Platform for Internet Safety (iSIGURT.al) and the Center for Children's Rights in Albania (CRCA/ECPAT) have raised the alarm regarding these images.

iSIGURT.al and CRCA/ECPAT Albania are seriously concerned not only about the massive spread of sexual violence on the Internet and strongly urges the authorities to wake up.

Excerpt from the statement:

This is not the first time that global online platforms or applications have been used to distribute material containing sexual violence against children. Just a month ago on the same platform, iSIGURT.al - National Line for Safe Internet for Children, encountered serious problems related to an event similar to the one reported today.

iSIGURT.al and CRCA/ECPAT Albania are seriously concerned not only about the massive spread of online sexual violence against children and the distribution of materials containing sexual violence against children, but above all about the lack of measures on the part of the responsible authorities in Albania to protect children while browsing the Internet. The latest data at global, European and national level show that:

At least 15 thousand profiles and pages in Albania were reported during the year 2022 as pages / profiles containing material containing sexual violence against children (NCMEC Tipline Report / National Internet Safety Report - iSIGURT.al;)

Every second, at least 2 images containing sexual violence against children are shared on the Internet. Behind every image, it must not be forgotten that there is a child who has experienced or still experiences sexual violence. (NCMEC)

In 2022 alone, material with the most serious content of sexual violence against children was released online like never before. 40% of these materials show a child under the age of 10 (Internet Watch Foundation).

While all European countries are taking drastic measures to protect children from violence and sexual exploitation on the Internet, the authorities in the country, as well as parents, are completely unaware of the crimes that children in Albania face every day on the Internet. Every day at least 2-3 requests are reported to SIGURT to close pages or profiles in the Albanian language with content of extreme bullying or sexual violence against children. Today we have an open call for every responsible institution and every parent in Albania:

GET OUT OF SLEEP!

Pedophiles and sexual predators on the Internet every second, minute, hour or day, are targeting children - victims of sexual violence, or distributing materials of sexual abuse of these children! This is because Albanian law has allowed and allows them to sexually abuse any potential victim on the Internet!

The National Line for Safe Internet for Children and CRCA/ECPAT Albania, through this public statement, call on the responsible authorities in the country to urgently address the legal protection of children from pedophiles and sexual predators on the Internet. In this context, we recommend taking the following measures:

1. Access to pornographic materials should be done only through the identity card and only for persons over 18 years old;

2. All platforms in the Albanian language and registered in Albania (social, chat, games, media, etc.), be assigned the legal obligation to block, remove and report to law enforcement bodies when their users post material with content of extreme violence or with content of sexual violence against children. Also, all online platforms and sites should have a standard complaint form to report incidents that children may encounter on these sites.

3. All international platforms, which are not registered in Albania, are obliged by law to designate a point of contact (in Albania) who acts as responsible to handle reports of online incidents for children visiting or using their platform.

4. All together, institutions, CSOs, parents, internet industry and media platforms, to create a National Pact against sexual violence against Children online and in real life, that addresses the need for laws, policies, standards, services and curricula new for the protection of children from sexual violence on the Internet and in everyday life.

We are available to central and cyber security authorities to share our best expertise in child protection, together with our partners in European Union countries.