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Implementation
sion of convicted offenders means that the regions need to learn how to deal with the above challenges
themselves; a number of (successful) initiatives have been described in this chapter.
Initiatives in the region
Collaborative associations such as Safety Houses, scenario teams and dual-track or multiple-track teams
exist in individual regions in the Netherlands, in which involved institutions come together. Those involved
on the front line of such initiatives frequently state that the British supervision system, MAPPA,
is desirable, whilst in the same breath referring to the Dutch Safety Houses and Dutch implementation
of the COSA project. Central control by the probation and after-care service is a component of MAPPA
on a case-level. The starting points formulated by the American Center for Sex Offender Management
(see below) also seem to be of value to the Dutch situation; these starting points are encountered in
the implementation in various regions. The Amsterdam sexual abuse case is an example of sharing best
practices, where lessons learnt from the sexual abuse case of the swimming teacher from Den Bosch
turned out to be valuable when it was a matter of informing parents and victims and preventing social
unrest. The Action Plan to Tackle <strong>Child</strong> Abuse also propagates co-operation and an integrated approach.
However, this plan is aimed specifically at children, and states the importance of co-operation with
organisations aimed at offenders, but this is, as yet, not widely found in the region.
An integrated approach
An integrated approach is desirable and must be required to fulfil a number of conditions. The integrated
character of the approach should become apparent through the coordination of all processes, organisations
involved, judicial frameworks and requirements, in order to promote a focus on the victim, the monitoring
and evaluation of interventions, specialised knowledge and the training of employees, raising public
awareness and co-operation between organisations. The integrated character of the approach should
also emerge from a programme of measures that takes shape on both a national as well as a regional level.
This also means mutual coordination between the regions: the problem does not disappear if the offender
moves house or if an exclusion order is imposed, it simply moves elsewhere. A national programme and/or
expertise centre as part of the Dutch Probation and After-care Services, as in the United States, could form a
national policy framework, and can serve as a key link between policy and implementation, can collect best
practices in the region and can link up with similar programmes and expertise centres within detection
and prosecution (Programme of Improvements in Tackling <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong>) in order to promote such
an integrated approach. It is important that the specific problems surrounding youth sex offenders are
also included. It is therefore not only a matter of youth sex offenders in the criminal justice chain but also
those offenders who are treated under the forms of civil law. The organisation, registration and generation
of expertise within the juvenile probation and after-care services are also matters that require attention.
3.7 Victim assistance
3.7.1 Introduction
This report is focused on child pornography within the wider context of sexual violence against children.
The most important factor in that regard is protecting children from sexual abuse. 688 A necessary com-
688 The protection of children from sexual violence is also the rationale of the criminalisation of child
pornography in Article 240b of the Dutch Criminal Code, see §1.3.
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