Magnus Brunner
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration
Child sexual abuse remains one of the most serious threats to the safety and well-being of children across Europe and the world. Ensuring that every child grows up in a secure, stable, and protective environment - free from exploitation and harm - must be a fundamental priority for policymakers, law enforcement, and society as a whole.
The most effective way to address this issue is through prevention. Rather than responding only after abuse has occurred, we must focus on stopping it before it starts. This requires a coordinated, evidence-based approach, combining legislative action, cross-border cooperation, and targeted interventions.
At the EU level, we are taking concrete steps to strengthen prevention efforts. The proposed EU Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse will enhance our ability to detect, disrupt, and deter offenders, while the revision of the 2011 Directive will ensure that Member States’ criminal law frameworks remain effective in tackling emerging threats. In parallel, the new EU Network for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, an official expert group of the European Commission, will provide important insights to inform our policies.
A key component of prevention is addressing the risk of offending - whether first-time or repeat - before harm occurs. This means developing targeted prevention programmes informed by up-to-date research on perpetration patterns and risk factors. By identifying and intervening early with those at risk, we can reduce the likelihood of abuse and better protect children.
The cost of inaction - measured in lives disrupted, trust broken, and futures compromised - is far too high. That is why we are committed to making prevention the cornerstone of our efforts, ensuring that every child in Europe can grow up safe from harm.
I would like to congratulate Prevention Global on the launch of “Understanding Harm” and applaud them for the important work they carried out to enrich the global state of knowledge on CSA perpetration prevalence. I wish everyone an insightful reading experience.
