The “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center is promoting the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse by adopting and highlighting the Council of Europe’s guidelines, which this year emphasise the need for policies based on reliable, comprehensive, and systematic data on child sexual exploitation and abuse.
"The European call is clear: protecting children can no longer rely solely on good intentions. It requires evidence-based knowledge, precise documentation, analysis, and the use of data that enables the state and relevant authorities to design effective policies and targeted interventions," a press release from the organisation notes.
These priorities become even more significant ahead of Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026, which presents a key opportunity for Cyprus to highlight at European level the importance of systematic data collection and analysis, and the strengthening of child protection structures against sexual abuse and exploitation, Hope for Children goes on to point out.
"In Cyprus, this crucial role is fulfilled by the Children’s House, whose operation was assigned to Hope For Children by the Social Welfare Services of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, the competent authority for supervision and funding of this innovative “Barnahus” model," the press release continues.
Hope For Children’s Executive Director, Andria Neocleous, states, "The Children’s House is the only nationwide body that collects, maintains, and analyzes data for all reports of child sexual abuse and exploitation. The data collected must serve as the foundation for continuous policy development, strengthening services, and ensuring the effective protection of children."
Since its establishment in 2017, the Child House has received 3,019 child referrals.
Key Data from the Child House for 2024
· 438 referrals.
· 25.6% boys and 74.4% girls.
· Average age: 12 years, with 14 being the most common age.
· 70.8% of children were Cypriot nationals.
· 89.2% of incidents were reported to have occurred within 12 months prior to referral; 10.8% occurred more than a year earlier.
· 57.9% of cases involved abuse between an adult and a minor.
· 58.6% of abuse was extra-familial, of which 53.9% involved a perpetrator who was known or familiar to the child; only 4.7% (20 children) involved a perpetrator unknown to the child. 26.4% of cases were intra-familial (mother, father, step-parent, sibling, etc.).
· In approximately 20 cases, a social worker or psychologist accompanied the child during judicial proceedings.
· 18 children testified via video conference system from the specially designed Children’s House facilities across all districts.
"These data reflect both the characteristics of the problem and the continuous efforts of child protection services. They also underscore the need to strengthen structures and make decisions based on real, reliable data, from prevention and education to timely reporting and supporting children in judicial proceedings," the press release says.
Conducting research and adopting a specialised, unified data-recording tool for all relevant stakeholders should be a priority for Cyprus, as it is included in the National Strategy and Plan of Action for Combatting Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children, and Depiction of Child Sexual Abuse Material 2025–2028, by the National Council 'FONI,' it goes on to note.
"This day calls on us to transform awareness into action. To refuse to remain passive observers. To remember that the protection of children is not the responsibility of a few—it is the responsibility of all of us. For more information, please contact Hope For Children at 22103234," the press release concludes.
