47 Amendments of Verena MERTENS
Amendment 68 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Research has shown that limiting the dissemination of child sexual abuse material is not only crucial to avoid the re- victimisation linked to the circulation of images and videos of the abuse but is also essential as a form of offender-side prevention, as accessing child sexual abuse material is often the first step towards hands-on abuse, regardless of whether it depicts real or simply realistic abuse and exploitation. The ongoing development of artificial intelligence applications capable of creating realistic images that are indistinguishable from real images, the number of so-called ‘deep-fake’ and AI generated images and videos depicting child sexual abuse is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. In addition, the development of augmented, extended and virtual reality settings making use of avatars including sensory feedback, e.g. through devices providing a perception of touch are not fully covered by the existing definition. The inclusion of an explicit reference to ‘reproductions and representations’ should ensure that the definition of child sexual abuse material covers these and future technological developments in a sufficiently technology- neutral and hence future-proof way.
Amendment 75 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) To prevent offences involving the sexual abuse of children, the definition of child sexual abuse material should include so-called ‘paedophile manuals’. Paedophile manualsinstruction manuals on how to sexually abuse children’. Instruction manuals on how to sexually abuse children provide advice on how to find, groom and abuse children and avoid being identified and prosecuted. By lowering barriers and providing the necessary know- how, they contribute to inciting offenders and support the commission of sexual abuse. Their online dissemination has already led certain Member States to amend their criminal law and explicitly criminalise possession and distribution of such manuals. The lack of harmonisation creates an uneven level of protection across the EU.
Amendment 80 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) In adopting legislation on substantive criminal law, the Union should ensure consistency of such legislation in particular with regard to the level of penalties. This Directive, because it contains an exceptionally high number of different offences, requires, in order to reflect the various degrees of seriousness, a differentiation in the level of penalties which goes further than what should usually be provided in Union legal instruments. This directive must ensure that technology-facilitated committed offences are covered by the same penalties as other offences, as the seriousness and trauma resulting from those offences is equivalent.
Amendment 93 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) Solicitation of children for sexual purposes is a threat with specific characteristics in the context of the Internet, as the latter provides unprecedented anonymity to users because they are able to conceal their real identity and personal characteristics, such as their age. In the last decade, the use of information and communication technologies has provided offenders with increasingly easy access to children, where the contact often starts with the offender luring the child, for example by pretending to be a peer or with other deceitful or flattering conduct, into compromising situations. This increased access to children has led to the rapid growth of phenomena such as ‘sexual extortion’ (i.e. the conduct of threatening to share intimate material depicting the victim to obtain money, child sexual abuse material or any other benefit), affecting children both below and above the age of sexual consent. There has been a surge in recent years of financially motivated sexual extortion by organised crime groups that target in particular teenage boys, which have led to multiple cases of those children taking their lives. It is therefore essential that all these phenomena are appropriately covered in Member States’s law. At the same time, Member States acknowledge the importance of also combating the solicitation of a child for sexual purposes outside the context of the Internet, in particular where such solicitation is not carried out by using information and communication technology. Member States are encouraged toshould criminalise the conduct where the solicitation of a child to meet the offender for sexual purposes takes place in the presence or proximity of the child, for instance in the form of a particular preparatory offence, attempt to commit the offences referred to in this Directive or as a particular form of sexual abuse. Whichever legal solution is chosen to criminalise ‘off-line grooming’, Member States should ensure that they prosecute the perpetrators of such offences.
Amendment 154 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Directive establishes minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the area of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children, child sexual abuse material and solicitation of children for sexual purposes, including those committed through the use of information and communication technologies. It also introduces provisions to strengthen the prevention of those criminal offences, ands well as the protection, the support and redress of the victims thereof.
Amendment 160 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new)
(1 a) (2) 'survivor' means a person who has experienced sexual violence as a child, irrespective of the legal status and the recognition as a victim of a crime by the respective legal system.
Amendment 166 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a
(a) any material that visually depicts a childll forms of representation, by all means, of a child or any part of the child’s body engaged in real or simulated sexually explicit conduct;
Amendment 171 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
(b) depictionall forms of representation, by all means, of the sexual organparts of a child for primarily sexual purposes;
Amendment 177 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point c
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point c
(c) any material that visually depictsll forms of representation, by all means, of any person appearing to be a child engaged in real or simulated sexually explicit conduct or any depiction of the sexual organparts of any person appearing to be a child, for primarily sexual purposes;
Amendment 184 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point d
(d) any realistic images , reproductions or representations of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct or of the sexual organparts of a child, for primarily sexual purposes;
Amendment 193 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point e
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point e
(e) 'instruction manual on how to sexually abuse children' means any material, regardless of its form, intended to provide advice, guidance or instructions on how to commit child sexual abuse or sexual exploitation or child solicitationthe offences listed in this Directive;
Amendment 199 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
(4) ‘child sexual exploitation in prostitution’ means the use of a child for sexual activities where money or any other form of remuneration, profit, advantage, benefit or consideration is given or promised as payment in exchange for the child engaging in sexual activities, regardless of whether that payment, promise, profit, advantage, benefit or consideration is made to the child or to a third party;
Amendment 208 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 – point b
(b) the sexual organparts of a child for primarily sexual purposes;
Amendment 210 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5 a (new)
(5 a) ‘Sexual extortion of children’ refers to the act of threatening to distribute intimate material featuring a child victim in order to obtain money, child sexual abuse material, or other forms of gain, under the threat of sharing this material without the depicted person’s consent.
Amendment 214 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7 a (new)
(7 a) ‘Information and communication technology’ refers to any technological tool or resource used for the digital storage, creation, sharing, or exchange of information, including smartphones, computers, social networking platforms, and other media applications and services.
Amendment 219 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7 c (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 7 c (new)
(7 c) ‘Online’ refers to all means of the use of information and communication technologies.
Amendment 221 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8
(8) ‘peers’ means persons who are close in age and degree of psychological and physical development orand maturity.
Amendment 231 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the conduct referred to in paragraphs 2 to 8 is punishable, including if the conduct was carried out using information and communication technology.
Amendment 233 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. Causing, for sexual purposes, a child who has not reached the age of sexual consent to witness sexual activities, even without having to participate, shall be punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 1 year.
Amendment 240 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 3
3. Causing, for sexual purposes, a child who has not reached the age of sexual consent to witness sexual abuse, even without having to participate, shall be punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 2 years.
Amendment 279 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 7 – point b a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 7 – point b a (new)
(b a) causing a child below the age of sexual consent to engage themselves, in any act of vaginal, anal or oral penetration of a sexual nature, with any bodily part or object;
Amendment 304 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the intentional conduct referred to in paragraphs 2 to 7 is punishable, including if the conduct was carried out using information and communication technology.
Amendment 334 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Coercing or compelling a child to share intimate material featuring the child, in order to obtain money, child sexual abuse material, or any other benefit under the threat of sharing the material without the depicted person's consent, shall be punishable by a maximum prison term of no less than 8 years.
Amendment 381 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the following intentional conduct committed by an adult is punishable as follows :
Amendment 385 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) proposing , including by means of information and communication technology, to meetestablish a relationship with a child either online or in person , for the purpose of committing any of the offences referred to in Article 3(4) , (5), (6) and (7) and Article 5(6), where that proposal was followed by material acts leading to such a meetingoffences, shall be punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 1 year;
Amendment 392 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that an attempt, including by means of information and communication technology, to commit the offences provided for in Article 5(2) and (3) by an adult soliciting a child to provide child sexual abuse material is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 6 months .
Amendment 395 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that an attempt, by means of information and communication technology, to commit the offences provided for in Article 5(2) and (3) by an adult soliciting a child to provide child sexual abuse material is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 6 months .
Amendment 401 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that an attempt, including by means of information and communication technology, to commit the offences provided for in Article 4(2) and (5) by an adult causing a child to participate in child sexual abuse performances and sexual exploitation in prostitution is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 6 months.
Amendment 411 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that intentionally promising or giving any person money, or other form of remuneration or consideration, including if the conduct was carried out using information and communication technology, to cause them to commit any of the offences listed in Article 3(4), (5),(6), (7), and (8), Article 4(2) and (3) and Article 5(6) is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 3 years.
Amendment 425 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 10 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 10 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Member States should ensure that peers are protected from prosecution for consensual, non-exploitative sexual activity, provided there is no element of coercion, abuse of trust, or dependency involved between them.
Amendment 488 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Member States shall, in accordance with the basic principles of their legal systems take the necessary measures to ensure that competent national authorities are entitledshall not to prosecute or impose penalties on child victims of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation for their involvement in criminal activities, which they have been compelled to commit as a direct consequence of being subjected to any of the acts referred to in Article 4(2), (3), (5) and (6), and in Article 5 (4), (5) and (6).
Amendment 495 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to enable the prosecution of any of the offences referred to in Article 3, Article 4(2), (3), (5), (6) and (7) , of any serious offences referred to in Article 5(6) when child sexual abuse material as referred to in Article 2 , points (3)(a) and (b) has been used, and of any of the offences referred to in Articles 7 and 8 , for a sufficient period of time afto guarantere the victim has reached the age of majority and which is commensurate with the gravity of the offence concerneright of every victim to access justice at least until after the victim has reached the age of 53 years old.
Amendment 500 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point a
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point a
(a) at least 2035 years from the date the victim has reached the age of majority for the offences punishable under this Directive by a maximum penalty of at least 3 years of imprisonment;
Amendment 506 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Amendment 512 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point c
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2 – point c
Amendment 522 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 4
Article 16 – paragraph 4
4. Member States shall ensure that persons, units or services investigating and prosecuting the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 9 have sufficient staff, expertise and effective investigative tools to effectively investigate and prosecute such crimes, including those committed through the use of information and communication technology, in accordance with the applicable rules of Union and national law. Where appropriate, these tools shall include special investigative tools, such as those which are used in countering organised crime or other serious crime cases, like the possibility to conduct undercoverThese tools shall for example include psychological forensic experts and special investigationve tools.
Amendment 539 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 – paragraph 4 b (new)
Article 17 – paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Member States shall ensure the availability of accessible, visible, clear, user-friendly reporting mechanisms in line with Barnahus quality standards.
Amendment 545 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Member States shall ensure the availability of accessible, visible, clear, user-friendly reporting mechanisms in line with Barnahus quality standards.
Amendment 565 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 21 – title
Article 21 – title
Assistance and support to victims and survivors
Amendment 571 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 21 – paragraph 1
Article 21 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that assistance and specialised and appropriate support are provided to victims and survivors before, during and for an appropriate period of time after the conclusion of criminal proceedings in order to enable them to exercise the rights set out in Directive 2012/29/EU , Directive (EU) …/… [proposed Directive amending Directive 2012/29 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crimes] and in this Directive. Member States shall notably ensure that victims and survivors of offences referred to in Articles 3 to 9 have access to targeted and integrated support services for children in accordance with Article 9a of Directive (EU) …/… [proposed Directive amending Directive 2012/29 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crimes]. Member States shall, in particular, take the necessary steps to ensure protection and specific support for children who report cases of abuse within their family, in line with the best interest of the child.
Amendment 574 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 21 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Member States shall establish age- appropriate, multidisciplinary, interagency structures to respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Amendment 577 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 21 – paragraph 2
Article 21 – paragraph 2
2. Victims and survivors shall be provided with comprehensive, specialist, coordinated, age-appropriate and trauma- informed medical care, emotional, psychosocial, psychological, legal and educational support, as well as any other appropriate support tailored in particular to situations of sexual abuse, including when committed using information and communication technology.
Amendment 595 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 21 – paragraph 6
Article 21 – paragraph 6
6. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the specific actions to assist and support child victims and survivors in enjoying their rights under this Directive, are undertaken following an individual assessment of the special circumstances of each particular child victim, conducted in accordance with Article 22 of Directive (EU) …/… [proposed Directive amending Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crimes] and taking due account of the child’s views, needs and concerns.
Amendment 607 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 22 – title
Article 22 – title
Protection of child victimsren in criminal investigations and proceedings
Amendment 616 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 22 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 22 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Member States shall ensure that all investigations and proceedings involving children are conducted in alignment with child-friendly justice principles. All authorities involved in these proceedings should receive training in child-friendly justice practices. Member States shall also ensure that child victims participating in criminal proceedings are promptly provided with appropriate support and protection at every stage of the investigation and legal process, with careful consideration of the child’s views, needs, specific vulnerabilities, and concerns.
Amendment 635 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 23 – title
Article 23 – title
Victim’s and survivor's right to compensation
Amendment 642 #
2024/0035(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 23 – paragraph 1
Article 23 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure that victims and survivors of offences referred to in Articles 3 to 9 of this Directive have a right to compensation for any damage suffered. Member States shall ensure that compensation can be requested from perpetrators of any of the offences referred to in Articles 3 to 9 from legal persons liable for such offences under Articles 13 and 14 and, where appropriate, from national compensation schemes established for the benefits of victims of crime.