Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s Hearing on "Child abuse in institutions: ensuring full protection of the victims".

Child abuse in institutions: PACE’s Social Committee to hold a hearing

Strasbourg, 21.06.2010 - Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s (PACE) Committee on Social Affairs is to hold tomorrow, 22 June, in Strasbourg, a Hearing on "Child abuse in institutions: ensuring full protection of the victims", in the framework of the preparation of a report on the subject by Marlene Rupprecht (Germany, SOC). The hearing, which is open to the press, will take place from 8.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Palais de l’Europe (Room 1).

Participants include :

Massimo Introvigne, Sociologist (Vatican City) ;
Marian Shanley, Member of the Commision to Inquire into Child Abuse (Ireland);
Christine Bergmann, Special Representative on Cases of Child Abuse (Germany) and
Helgard Van Hüllen, Member of the Executive Board of Victim Support Europe (Germany).

According to the motion for a resolution, considering accounts of physical and sexual child abuse occurring within residential facilities, boarding schools, churches and other institutional settings, it is regrettable regret that “the needs of the victims of this abuse have often been disregarded” both in the past and in the present.

European Governments should ensure that “any case of child abuse is subject to their criminal law system, and that perpetrators are prosecuted and all victims (and also whistleblowers) receive the same protection regardless of the institutional setting in which the crime was committed”.

Doc. 12238
4 May 2010
Child abuse in institutions: ensure full protection of the victims
Motion for a Resolution
presented by Mr Omtzigt and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1. Many countries, including Council of Europe member and observer states, have recently been faced with accounts of physical and sexual child abuse occurring within residential facilities, boarding schools, churches and other institutional settings.

2. The Parliamentary Assembly notes with regret that the needs of the victims of this abuse have often been disregarded – both in the past, when the offences occurred, and in the present, connected to the way they have been handled by the institutions concerned, the state and the media. The extent and duration of abuse situations is shocking and questions arise why they were not uncovered earlier.

3. In this respect, the Assembly asks itself whether appropriate control mechanisms – both internal and external - were lacking and why the control mechanisms in place have not been sufficient to ensure full protection of all children.

4. The Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (CETS No. 201) stipulates that each Party shall take the necessary legislative or other measures to ensure that any intentional abuse of a child made by a person being “in a recognised position of trust, authority or influence over the child” be criminalised.

This Convention will enter into force on 1 July 2010.

5. The Assembly recommends that member states ensure that any case of child abuse is subject to their criminal law system, and that perpetrators are prosecuted and all victims (and also whistleblowers) receive the same protection regardless of the institutional setting in which the crime was committed.

6. The Assembly also urges member states to sign, ratify and implement the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse without further delay, if they have not done so already.
Signed 1:

OMTZIGT Pieter, Netherlands, EPP/CD
BLUM Roland, France, EPP/CD
BOSWELL Tim, United Kingdom, EDG
CAPARIN Karmela, Croatia, EPP/CD
FRANKEN Hans, Netherlands, EPP/CD
GREENWAY John, United Kingdom, EDG
GROSS Andreas, Switzerland, SOC
HUSS Jean, Luxembourg, SOC
JONKER Corien W.A., Netherlands, EPP/CD
KARAMANLI Marietta, France, SOC
KELLY Peter, Ireland, ALDE
KOSACHEV Konstantin, Russian Federation, EDG
KOVÁCS Elvira, Serbia, EPP/CD
LECOQ Jean-Paul, France, UEL
LINDBLAD Göran, Sweden, EPP/CD
MARTY Dick, Switzerland, ALDE
MAURY PASQUIER Liliane, Switzerland, SOC
OHLSSON Carina, Sweden, SOC
PETRESKI Zoran, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', EPP/CD
POURBAIX-LUNDIN Marietta de, Sweden, EPP/CD
RIBA FONT Maria Pilar, Andorra, SOC
ROSEIRA Maria de Belém, Portugal, SOC
RUPPRECHT Marlene, Germany, SOC
SAMKURASHVILI Rati, Georgia, EPP/CD
SANTINI Giacomo, Italy, EPP/CD
SARIKAS Fidias, Chypre, SOC
SARO Giuseppe, Italy, EPP/CD
SASI Kimmo, Finland, EPP/CD
SPAUTZ Marc, Luxembourg, EPP/CD
VRIES Klaas De, Netherlands, SOC
WILLE Paul, Belgium, ALDE
WILLIAMS Betty, United Kingdom, SOC

1 EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
SOC: Socialist Group
ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
EDG: European Democratic Group
UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
NR: not registered in a group