“If the consequences for victims last a lifetime, the opportunity to seek justice should last just as long.” That’s the message from the EPP Group, as Jeroen Lenaers MEP, chief negotiator for the European Parliament’s new child sexual abuse law, spearheads the landmark EU action ahead of today’s vote in Parliament’s plenary.
The EPP Group has been pushing for the strongest legislative response yet to protect children from sexual abuse. This historic law abolishes statutes of limitation for prosecuting child abusers, criminalises AI-generated child sexual abuse content, and outlaws so-called “instruction manuals” that guide predators on how to exploit children and avoid detection.
“Survivors disclose abuse at the average age of 52. What kind of justice system tells a victim they’ve waited too long to speak?” Lenaers added. “Abuse is a life sentence. Justice must be a lifetime possibility, too.”
The updated law modernises EU protections to reflect the disturbing realities of abuse in the digital age. It ensures that artificial intelligence cannot be used to fabricate abusive content without consequences and introduces a clear, EU-wide definition of consent, affirming that a child cannot consent to abuse. So-called “instruction manuals” that offer step-by-step advice on how to commit these crimes will be treated as what they are – tools of premeditation. The law also strengthens victims’ rights and support systems across the EU, mandates effective hotlines for reporting abuse, and obliges Member States to take measures to ensure the prompt removal of web pages containing child sexual abuse material.
“This vote is a test of our values. Either we stand with the children, or we stand aside. We urge all political groups to back this law,” concluded Lenaers.
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