CSA Around the World > CoE report on CSA and CSE; EU criminalising AI child sex abuse content; CSA laws to tighten in Hong Kong; Kids now Upskirting in Japan

 

Countering sexual abuse and exploitation of children: new report published by Council of Europe

Child-focused events on AI abuse material and social media and minors’ mental health to follow

The Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Committee – the body that helps countries protect children from sexual abuse by monitoring implementation of the Council of Europe’s Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse – has published its 10th activity report. This year’s special edition marks the 15th anniversary of the Lanzarote Convention, the first comprehensive, legally binding treaty providing a response to sexual violence against children. Ratified by 48 parties, it is an open treaty any country worldwide can accede to.

The report highlights two 2025 milestones:

• The report “Protecting children against sexual abuse in the circle of trust: Legal frameworks” welcomed the progress made since 2015, noting that several states have now criminalised the sexual abuse of children of all ages by individuals in recognised positions of trust, authority, or influence, and have improved safeguards for child victims during investigations and proceedings. The report also provided recommendations for further action, including strengthening protections for child victims of familial abuse and implementing measures to address harmful sexual behaviour among children.
• The report on data collection mechanisms related to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children across 36 countries in Europe and beyond which marked the first comprehensive effort to compile good practices and identify gaps in data collection. Among its key recommendations, the report urged national authorities to use available data on child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse to develop evidence-based policies and measures, as well as to monitor their implementation and impact.

The publication of the report is the first in a series of Council of Europe initiatives in June focusing on children’s rights and safety.

Other children-related events at the Council of Europe this week

In what is a busy week for child-focused news from the Council of Europe, on 2 June there will be an exchange on AI-generated child-sexual-abuse material.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are enabling the rapid creation, alteration and dissemination of child-sexual-abuse material. This includes content that is wholly AI-generated or altered through technologies or applications capable of producing nude images from clothed photographs (“nudifying” tools). These technological developments create new challenges for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

In response, the Lanzarote Committee and the Cybercrime Convention Committee will hold a joint event on 2 June 2026 to exchange information on the emerging challenges posed by AI-generated or altered child sexual abuse material.

On 4 June there will be an event on exposure to social media and children’s well-being and mental health. The Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset will open the thematic dialogue.

Social media plays an increasing role in children’s daily lives, transforming the way they communicate, learn, and interact. While these platforms offer children real opportunities to express themselves, participate, and stay informed, they also raise concerns about risks to children’s well-being and mental health.

The event will explore policy responses to mitigate such risks. At a time when many countries are reviewing their legislation on children’s access to social media, these discussions aim to define how best to balance the protection of children with respect for their rights and participation.

The thematic dialogue organised by the steering committees for the rights of the child (CDENF) and for human rights in the fields of biomedicine and health (CDBIO) contributes to the New Democratic Pact for Europe. The event forms part of Monaco’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers.

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 Learn more about how the Council of Europe works to protect children

 Council of Europe committee calls for better protection of children against sexual abuse in the circle of trust

 Child sexual exploitation and abuse: collecting reliable data and using it for policy making is indispensable, says Council of Europe committee

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EU to criminalise AI producing child sex abuse content

AFP

June 22, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

Designers of AI systems that create child sexual abuse images could face jail time under a toughening of EU rules that European countries and lawmakers agreed on Monday.

Victims will also get more time to bring perpetrators to justice as part of a reform first presented in 2024 that is now edging closer to implementation. 

Magnus Brunner, the EU’s commissioner for internal affairs, described the deal on the text reached by representatives for the European Parliament and the bloc’s 27 member states as “an important milestone in strengthening the EU’s efforts to combat child sexual abuse”.

“Children deserve protection that keeps pace with the world they live in,” he said. 

Brussels has sought to expand the type of criminal offences related to child sexual abuse, with new technologies blamed for a proliferation of new forms of abuse.

Under the reform, designing or adapting artificial intelligence systems to produce child sexual abuse material, as well as acquiring, possessing or disseminating such programmes will be punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment.

Possessing or exchanging so-called paedophile “handbooks” — in which abusers provide guidance to one another — will also become a crime, possibly leading to at least two years behind bars. 

Grooming minors to produce or share abuse material, and paying to watch abuse live-streamed online will likewise become punishable offences. 

At the same time, the statutes of limitations will be extended, as critics say short terms deprive victims of justice because many only speak up years later after the offence occurred and might find it impossible to mount a case. 

Under the new rules, the statutes would not start until the victim turns 18, and there would be varying limits of 15, 20 and 32 years depending on the gravity of the crimes.

The reform would update rules from 2011 and follows an increase in reported cases across the European Union, with concerns that easy-to-use AI tools will spur an even bigger spread of harmful content.

The EU estimates that one in five children across the bloc suffers from some form of sexual abuse or exploitation.

“The revision of this directive finally gives the judiciary and law enforcement authorities more tools to deal with crimes that have only emerged with the increasing use of technology and artificial intelligence for criminal purposes,” Lena Dupont, a centre-right lawmaker who followed the file.

The agreement reached on Monday is provisional and needs to be formally approved by parliament and member states before it can enter into force.

Speed up law reform on child sexual abuse in Hong KongSouth China Morning Post

Cases surge despite an overall drop in rape and indecent assault cases. The government pledges to tighten laws before the end of its term

It goes without saying that laws must move with the times and adapt to changes. A case in point is the legislation on rape and other sexual offences. From strengthening protection for the vulnerable to keeping up with trends and technology, there is a lot to catch up on. To be fair, Hong Kong officials and law advisers are working on it, though the pace is not as quick as desired.

The Law Reform Commission released the Review of Substantive Sexual Offences in 2019 and a report on Sentencing and Related Matters in the Review of Sexual Offences in 2022. A consultation is expected to be launched soon, with legislative amendments to be introduced before the end of 2027. There is a greater sense of urgency to act as the issue was put under the spotlight during the weekly question time in the Legislative Council.

According to the police, sexual abuse cases against those aged under 17 jumped 20 per cent from 663 in 2024 to 797 last year. The increase was recorded against an overall decline in the number of rape and indecent assault cases involving victims of all ages. Exactly what contributed to the surge is unclear. The police said they did not keep statistics on the relationship between persons involved in cases of sexual offences against children. But with figures hovering between 578 and 696 for the previous years, the trend remains disturbing.

These are not just cold numbers that mar Hong Kong’s relatively low crime rates. Behind them is the suffering of victims, often made vulnerable by social circumstances and inadequate legal protection. Each case is a stern reminder of reform, lest more children fall prey to sex predators.

The government said it understood the concern of society and pledged to strengthen legal protection for victims, especially children. The commitment to complete the amendments by the end of its term in June 2027 is to be welcomed. The city has waited long enough. The recommendations by the Law Reform Commission will go a long way in strengthening and modernising the existing framework for tackling sexual offences. The government must speed up the reform so there is stronger protection for the vulnerable and the justice system has effective tools to respond.

Upskirting crimes have long plagued Japan.

Now children are becoming offenders

Tokyo —  Ayaka was six years old when she was first upskirted.

Her swimming teacher, a man who targeted children for over a decade, took illicit photos and videos of her genitals. He’d then share the images on a Telegram group with other pedophiles, who were so grateful for the content that they called him “god.”

Ayaka’s father Suzuki – both names have been changed for privacy – only learned his daughter had been targeted when the police called two years ago. Her face and name appeared in some of the images, making her easily identifiable.

“My wife and I encouraged her to join that swimming school. We thought it would be a fun experience for her,” he told CNN.

“I feel ashamed that I put my daughter in that situation. I feel angry toward the man who committed the crime. I can never forgive him.”

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Ayaka is far from alone. She’s one of countless victims of upskirting and voyeuristic photography in Japan, a crime that’s long plagued the country.

Warning posters frequently line train stations and public buildings in Japan. All smartphones sold in the country are required to emit a shutter sound when taking photos and videos, an industry measure designed to deter covert photography. 

In 2023, Japan also introduced a nationwide law against “photo voyeurism” as part of a broader overhaul of its sex crime legislation. Before then, such cases were prosecuted under a patchwork of local ordinances that varied across the country.

Despite years of efforts to curb the crime, it remains one of Japan’s most common sex offenses. Police made 9,237 arrests for voyeurism offenses nationwide in 2025, the highest number on record. Authorities attribute part of the increase to the new law, which expanded the scope of offenses. The ubiquity of smartphones has also made the crime easier than ever to carry out and repeat.

But what’s changing is who’s committing it.

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