Sexual violence towards children is a challenge in the modern world. Similar offenses usually are widespread in those countries where state institutions are weak, corruption is high and organized crime is strong. However, even developed countries are not fully protected from such threat. Therefore, special measures are taken in US and European countries for prevention of sexual violence towards children and for punishment of those guilty of such offences.
Penalty for sexual violence against children is often so strict and severe that it raises protest from various social groups. In some European countries (for instance Poland, Estonia) penalty for sex offenders may result in forced chemical castration. Apart from this, practice of voluntary chemical and surgical castration which is offered to sex offenders in return for lesser penalty, is widespread in lots of countries (for instance Great Britain, Scandinavian countries).
In EU, the principle of extraterritorial criminal prosecution is applicable to crimes of sexual violence against children. According to this principle, there are not jurisdictional limitations for prosecution of sex offenders. Therefore, EU countries are obliged to investigate and prosecute offenders irrespective of their citizenship or the place of offence.
In the Council of Europe Lanzarote Committee has been created on the basis of the Convention for Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The Committee monitors effectiveness of the measures taken against the sexual abuse of children in the member countries. The Convention requires zero tolerance in the prosecution and punishment of the sex offenders.
Pedophiles are sometimes equated to minorities and this is intentionally facilitated by the groups hostile to the west. For instance, in 2013 publication of American Psychiatric Association – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, sexual orientation was mentioned by error during the discussion of different forms of pedophilia. The error was soon corrected. American Psychiatric Association declared that the term was mentioned by mistake and sexual interest was to be written instead of sexual orientation.
Despite this, the Russian media covered this story as equating pedophilia to sexual minorities. Representative of the Family Issue Committee of Russian Duma made a special statement that US recognized pedophilia as sexual orientation and this would result in legalization of it in the nearest future. In Georgia pro-Russian groups use this story by referring to Russian media, as an argument against integration with EU.
Source of the Myth: Kakha Kukava, Free Georgia: “Sexual orientation apart from homosexuality involves many other ugly things, for example necrophilia, pedophilia and so on. ”
3 May, Resonance
Gia Korkotashvili, Radio news anchor: “… I will remain wherever you want me, including in Russia, if in my country incest will not be legalized, if gays will not put pressure on the normal population. It seems that we, normal people, are becoming the minority. They scare us: if you do not want to be left in Russia, you should be with US, this means with gays, pedophiles and those who preach incest, but normal person will not “buy” this!”
8 May, GEWORLD.GE
