Sexual offences committed against children are among the most deplorable of all crimes and often causes long term negative impacts for victims. The Internet has changed the way child sexual exploitation offences are committed, investigated and prosecuted. The persistence of offenders to access children for sexual purposes has also given rise to the global problem of Transnational Child Sex Offenders.
That is why the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is partnering with the Philippines to help protect children from sexual exploitation and to identify and bring those who harm them to justice.
This week, the RCMP signed agreements with both the Philippine National Police and the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation to strengthen their existing efforts to combat crimes against children and youth such as the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, trafficking, and other forms of child sexual abuse.
This collaboration will make it easier for all parties to:
- exchange information on suspicious persons
- identify child victims
- support and protect the rights of child victims during and following investigations
- coordinate and execute joint or cooperative investigations
- share legal and scientific instruments
- train and educate law enforcement officials in preventing and fighting sexual offences against children
The RCMP and Philippine authorities are building on an already successful working relationship to share information on all forms of child sexual exploitation and to provide advanced training in these complex investigations. This new agreement formalizes their respective roles and responsibilities and solidifies this important partnership.
Quotes
"Child sexual exploitation is an abhorrent and horrific crime that continues to place children in Canada and abroad at risk. Collaborative work between our two countries will better protect children from this scourge."
"Children and youth have the right to be protected and cared for by their family, society, and Government. These partnerships will help fight crimes against children that seriously endanger their health and psychological well-being."
Quick Facts
- The RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre (NCECC), was created in response to the recognition of the growing and disturbing crime of Internet-facilitated child sexual exploitation.
- In 2018, the NCECC received 61,174 complaints/report pertaining to online sexual exploitation offences, representing a dramatic 616% increase since 2014.
- Budget 2018 invested an additional $19 million over five years and $5.8 million per year ongoing to enhance support for the NCECC to increase its investigative capacity.
- In a review of 153,000 reports of online child exploitation from 2008 to 2015, Cybertip.ca (Canada's tipline to report this crime-type), found that 78.3% of children in the images/videos were estimated to be under the age of 12 years old.
- Within the RCMP's Behavioural Sciences Investigative Services, the High Risk Sex Offender (HRSO) Program assesses Canadian sexual offenders for their risk of recidivism and will then share their information with foreign law enforcement for the purpose of prevention.
- Under the Criminal Code, specifically, sub-section 7 (4.1), a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada may be charged in Canada for a sexual offence against a child committed in a foreign country.