Deal reached: crackdown on sextortion and grooming of children

The EPP Group has secured a landmark deal to crack down on sextortion, online grooming and the use of artificial intelligence in child sexual abuse. Following final negotiations on Monday, the new European law explicitly criminalises the production and distribution of tools used to generate AI child sexual abuse material, outlaw online predator manuals and strengthen protection for victims across Europe. 

"We can never be ambitious enough when it comes to protecting children, and with this landmark law here, we are taking a massive step forward," said Jeroen Lenaers MEP, the Parliament’s lead negotiator for the law. "We have successfully sealed a historic extension of the limitation period for child rape. This means victims across the EU now have the legal right to seek justice until they are at least 50 years old - eliminating short, arbitrary deadlines that allowed abusers to escape punishment."

"This is a total recast of how Europe fights this evil," Lenaers added. "We didn't just update the rules: we strengthened the entire defence network by reinforcing child helplines, establishing free legal aid and increasing penalty levels. We are giving victims and survivors the lifelong support and justice they deserve."