Science Expo is an exhibition of scientific projects for and by the youth which takes place every year in Brussels.

The sexual exploitation of children has nothing to do with maths. Are you sure ?

In the exhibition, there is a « Village Society » aimed at raising awareness of the youth on social issues. This year’s topic was gender-based violence.  ECPAT Belgium had to be present!

We have given different workshops around online safety issues to raise awareness of teenagers about the risks of sexual exploitation. Very interesting for them… and for us!

Dear traveller,

You for whom the Easter period means holidays and chocolate eggs. You already packed your belongings to take off for a while, away from the daily grind.

Where you go, there are child victims of abuse and sexual exploitation. For them, there are no holidays.

If you witness any suspicious situation, it is your duty not to turn a blind eye. If any event occurring suggests that you might be witnessing a case of child abuse or sexual exploitation, please report.

You can report the situation on the I say STOP! website. When you report, try to answer the questions who, where and when. You should report even when unaware of the names of the abuser or victim. The more accurate the information provided, the easiest for the police to open an investigation. What signs might alert you? For example, a child/teenager with an adult who does not seem to belong to the same family (e.g. do not speak the same language), an adult alone with a minor who does not look comfortable… Even if you carry some doubt concerning the nature of the behaviors you are witnessing, report the facts. Thanks to you, an inquiry may be started and the police will find out whether there really is a situation of sexual abuse. The campaign I say STOP! is an initiative of the STOP group, coordinated by ECPAT Belgium. This group gathers institutional actors and NGOs fighting together against child sexual exploitation.

On February, the 9th 2018, newspapers started disclosing allegations affecting Oxfam UK: after the earthquakein Haiti (2010), aid workers allegedly paid to have sex with young local women, perhaps minors. What Oxfam is being blamed for is not so much its employees’ behaviour – no NGO being immune to a breach of its Code of conduct – but the way these facts were handled. Read more>

 

Dominic would like a family who would support him. He would love to cook for his new family, and he would like to be the youngest or only child. And here is Sabey. Sabey would like to be adopted by a traditional family, with two parents and other kids”. These product-like descriptions are spelled out by a middle-aged woman, standing at the back of a long catwalk. She holds a microphone in her hands and smiles at the audience. Her aim today is to manage to sell at least one childRead more >

ECPAT International received the prestigious INTERPOL “Crimes against Children” Award on the European Day Against Sexual Abuse. INTERPOL recognizes the efforts to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and to defend victims.At the award ceremony, ECPAT Director paid tribute to the 103 members – including ECPAT Belgium.

At the award ceremony, ECPAT Director paid tribute to the 103 members – including ECPAT Belgium.”Through research, advocacy, direct child outreach, education and campaigning, ECPAT members are making a difference in the lives of children.”

She added : “Because of the clandestine nature of child sexual exploitation, obtaining reliable data is difficult. Nevertheless, we know that the number of victims is very important and that very often these children suffer in silence.”

In order to close the ReACT project, a final conference was held in Berlin on 22 September.

49 field professionals from 10 countries (Belgium, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Turkey, Albania, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria) met to exchange experiences and best practices to prevent and fight trafficking.

Conférence Berlin
The end of a project but the beginning of sustainable initiatives to train guardians and lawyers.

Almost one third of the trafficked victims worldwide are children. The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is the occasion for ECPAT Belgium to remind the importance of prevention. In March 2017, we have published a brochure to inform migrant children potential victims of trafficking about their rights in Belgium. Please disseminate widely. Together, we must act against trafficking in human beings.

Blue Heart Campaign

Copyright ECPAT Belgique « Stop à l’exploitation sexuelle commerciale des enfants »

ECPAT Belgium was extremely honoured to meet with the Vice President of the European Parliament, Ms Sylvie Guillaume, in order to present the findings of the ReACT project.

Rdv Sylvie Guillaume

Ms Guillaume was very interested by the outcomes of the project and has disseminated them through her website. Many possibilities have been discussed to better identify and protect children presumed to be victims of trafficking.

Copyright ECPAT Belgique « Stop à l’exploitation sexuelle commerciale des enfants »

 

Thanks to Umbali, athletes have run the 20km of Brussels for ECPAT Belgium.

20KM_Brussels

We warmly thank them for their commitment and for the money raised.

Can’t wait for the Brussels Marathon!

Copyright ECPAT Belgique « Stop à l’exploitation sexuelle commerciale des enfants »