Publisher's Synopsis
Child sexual abuse is attracting much public concern and attention in many parts of the world. In recent years, it has taken on a novel form involving abusers masquerading as tourists and travelling to countries where children may be particularly vulnerable. Men from Europe, the USA and Japan now visit Third World and Eastern European countries in order to engage in the sexual abuse of young children. This book examines a new departure in international cooperation to suppress this practice whereby a number of countries -- including the USA, many European nations, Japan and Thailand -- have passed legislation making possible the arrest and trial of their citizens for these offences even when carried out beyond their borders. This book records the speed and efficiency with which this initiative has been brought about. It presents a number of case studies from a variety of countries which have been collected by the Dutch section of Defence of Children International. It makes clear the important role being played by NGOs, notably ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution in Asia Countries) which now comprises over 40 organsiations worldwide. It provides examples of successful prosecutions that have been brought and the obstacles that still stand in the way of using this legal instrument to suppress child abuse. In particular, it shows how great is still the need to develop guidelines, codes of practice and new procedures in cooperation in order to help law enforcement authorities prosecute these cases where more than one national jurisdiction is involved. Those involved in child protection, from teachers to social workers and police, will find the material in this book an insightful resource in alerting them to the problem and new ways of confronting it.
