Sexual exploitation and abuse of children

The State party should adopt a specific plan of action to combat violence against women and girls that focuses on the elimination of rape and other forms of sexual violence, including in the Sami community and includes specific components on preventing and combating sexual abuse and exploitation that occur or are initiated online, and increase efforts to prevent and combat grooming, sexual extortion and child pornography.

The State party should increase the allocation of human, technical and financial resources, including to the National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos), to improve the protection of children who are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation.

The State party should amend section 291 of the Penal Code to ensure that the lack of free consent is at the centre of the definition of rape.

The State party should undertake awareness-raising campaigns to encourage reporting, with specific components targeted at boy victims, and ensure accessible, confidential, child-friendly and effective reporting channels.

The State party should undertake research and develop specific measures to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation of children by other children and ensure that perpetrators are provided with specific treatment.

The State party should ensure that data collected on sexual abuse and exploitation of children are disaggregated by age, sex, disability, geographical location, ethnic and national origin and socioeconomic background, and improve policies on the basis of the results of those data.

The State party should accelerate its efforts to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.