Brussels, June 27th, 2008 - Every year thousands of European tourists travel to countries in Southeast Asia, South America, Africa to have sex with minors. The chance that offenders get caught is almost zero. This has to stop. Therefore the European Liberals and Democrats have launched an online petition to fight child prostitution. The online petition pleads for more powers for Europol to fight sexual exploitation of children by Europeans travelling abroad.
The online petition is an initiative supported by the Romanian MEP Renate Weber: "We aim to to collect a million signatures from people who want to join us in saying NO to child prostitution, be it in our countries, in the member states, or be it European citizens abusing children in their trips abroad. This situation is untolerable. I urge you to visit the campaign's website and sign the petition !"
The online petition includes three concrete proposals.
1) The member states have to give Europol a stronger role. Therefore it should receive the powers and the means to train police, prosecutors and judges in Southeast Asia and South-eastern Europe on the subject of sexual exploitation of children.
2) The EU should improve the exchange of information with third countries in order to help identify possible suspects as well as prosecuting perpetrators.
3) The EU should enter those suspected of child sex tourism, also outside of the EU, into the Schengen Information System.
Apart from ALDE the online petition is sponsored by Terre des Hommes, Plan, ECPAT International and Save the Children.