European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse is being marked in Tbilisi today.
Georgia joined the European Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, known as the Lanzarote Convention, in 2015.
“Governments and sports organisations must redouble their efforts to break the silence surrounding the sexual abuse of children in sports, prevent it and fight impunity”, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland said, adding that sporting environments often involve unequal power relationships in a male-dominated atmosphere where vulnerability is seen as a weakness.
“This puts children at a particular risk of sexual abuse. Safeguarding children from sexual abuse in sport is a major challenge. All of those involved – parents, coaches, athletes and governing bodies – must be alert to the dangers and help protect children in sport,” he added.
The Council of Europe is currently implementing a project in Georgia titled Responding to child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The project aims to strengthen the capacity of the authorities and professionals to prevent and protect children from sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and other forms of violence. As part of the project a special training course for legal professionals (HELP) on child-friendly justice was launched in Georgia in October.