The European Commission may fine Czechia for not having sufficiently transposed the EU Directive on combating sexual abuse and exploitation of children, Czech government Commissioner for Human Rights Klara Simackova Laurencikova and MEP Marcel Kolaja (Pirates) said.
According to the Czech News Agency, Kolaja said the European Commission may start proceedings which could result in high fines for the country not meeting its responsibilities.
Laurencikova said awareness of and protection against sexual abuse and online attacks, modern sex education, an emphasis on mental health should become part of education at school. Support, consulting or therapy should be available for persons with “atypical sexual preferences,” she added.
The EU, for its part, is now preparing a new directive that focuses on protecting children against abuse online, Kolaja said.
“This problem goes beyond the borders of the Czech Republic. It makes sense to deal with it on the European level. The European Union can exert bigger pressure on big platforms like Facebook or Google than Czechia alone. European coordination is important,” Kolaja said.
There should be a balance between the right to privacy, the protection of children and other compromises, he said, adding that the debate should focus on stricter punishment for the abuse of children online.
(Ondřej Plevák | EURACTIV.cz)
Source: euractiv.com
