Parliament approves EU Convention on sexual abuse

The prevention of the sexual exploitation and the sexual abuse of children, defending the rights of young victims, and support for domestic and international cooperation in eliminating sexual exploitation and child abuse are some of the objectives within the Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The Convention was approved by the Slovak Parliament on Tuesday and now awaits ratification by the president. The Convention was approved in 2007 by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers and subsequently made available for signature. Slovakia's Permanent Delegation to the CoE signed the Convention on the country's behalf in Strasbourg on September 9, 2009. The Convention's chapters include legislative and other measures that need to be taken in order to ensure that children are protected from sexual exploitation and abuse and to define such behaviour as crimes. Along with this Convention legislators approved an Inter-American Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad (the so-called Managua Convention), which guarantees the extradition of convicted persons by the contracting parties. The document provides the opportunity for convicts to serve their sentences in their country of origin, which should contribute to their rehabilitation into society. Slovak citizens convicted abroad will be thus able to serve their sentences at home.