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<strong>Child</strong> PornograPhy First report oF the Dutch NatioNal rapporteur
– Who are the potential identifiers of perpetrators or victims?
– To what extent are the identifiers able to recognise indicators of the actions of a perpetrator or of a
situation where an individual has become a victim?
– To which authorities are identifiers able to report the indicators that they have noticed?
We will then show the statistical data from the stated authorities to whom such indicators can be reported,
if available. This will enable us to gain an impression of the number of reports concerning
sexual violence against children/child abuse material in the Netherlands. Section §3.3.3 will examine
the identification of abusive content. This type of identification does not necessarily have to take place
in the immediate environment of the perpetrators and/or victims, but will in particular take place on
the Internet. As a result, the range of potential locations in which child abuse material can be identified
is relatively large in comparison with the numbers of perpetrators and victims. The authorities to whom
identified content can be reported will also be discussed, as well as the available data. Finally, in §3.3.4
we will present the summary and conclusions with regard to the identification and registration of child
abuse material in the Netherlands. For details of a number of initiatives focusing upon the identification
of child abuse material that have been developed by public and private parties, please refer to §3.8.
3.3.1 The identification of perpetrators
We can, in any case, distinguish between two groups of individuals (apart from the police) who may
function as potential identifiers of situations where acts may have been committed by perpetrators:
– The perpetrators themselves, and
– Individuals in the perpetrators’ immediate environment 104
To date, little or no resources have been devoted in the Netherlands towards raising awareness within
society of how to recognise indicators of situations where acts (potentially) have been committed by
perpetrators, and what to do in such an event. The extent to which (potential) perpetrators themselves
and individuals in close proximity to perpetrators are able to recognise indicators as such is not known,
nor do we know whether or how identifiers act if they suspect that acts have been committed.
Where can ‘perpetrator identifiers’ report indicators that they have found?
Perpetrators of sexual violence against children/child pornography who are not yet known to the authorities,
or potential perpetrators who are concerned about their own thoughts and/or (future) behaviour
(online) 105 do not yet have anyone to whom they can turn in the Netherlands. 106 Individuals in the
United Kingdom and Ireland can contact the Stop it Now! project, as well as other initiatives. The De
104 The immediate environment also refers to the online environment.
105 This therefore also concerns secondary prevention in accordance with Smallbone’s prevention model
(see §3.2.1).
106 In this context see Article 7 of the Convention on the Protection of <strong>Child</strong>ren Against Sexual Exploitation
and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention), Lanzarote, 25 October 2007, Treaty Series 2008, 58. This Article
requires States to do the following: “Each Party shall ensure that persons who fear that they might commit any
of the offences established in accordance with this Convention may have access, where appropriate, to effective intervention
programmes or measures designed to evaluate and prevent the risk of offences being committed.” The Explanatory
Memorandum states with regard to this Article that means of intervention and treatment already exist
in the mainstream mental healthcare sector in the Netherlands (Parliamentary Papers II,2008/09, 31 808,
no.3, p.6). However, these do not seem to be sufficient and are specifically geared towards the treatment
of individuals who have already committed acts of sexual violence against children (offline or online).