Missing Children Europe

MCE strongly welcomes and fully supports the European Commissions initiative to develop an Action Plan on the protection of children against crime. This initiative reflects an important and timely recognition that childrens safety requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary and cross-border response, one that addresses both online and offline threats within a coherent EU policy framework.

Missing Children Europes contribution to the public consultation on the European Commissions proposal for an update of the criminal law rules on child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation under the recast of Directive 2011/93/EU.

Missing Children Europe is the European federation of 31 grassroot organisations working for the prevention, protection, and support of missing children’s cases. Missing Children Europe welcomes the Commission’s proposal to review Directive 2011/93/EU on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. Every year an estimated two hundred thousand children go missing in Europe.

Each year, over 250 000 children are reported missing in Europe one child disappearing every two minutes. Children go missing for a wide range of reasons, including violence, harassment, conflicts, abuse, and exploitation. The effects are far-reaching, not only for the missing children themselves but also for their families and communities, often resulting in long-term trauma and broader societal consequences.