Involvement of political officials in a child pornography case in Portugal

WRITTEN QUESTION

Submission: To the Council

3 June 2003

Subject: Involvement of high-ranking political officials in a child pornography case in Portugal

Recently, in Portugal, revelations have come to light regarding the involvement of high-ranking political officials in child pornography cases. At the same time, a trial is set to begin for similar cases involving a well-known TV presenter, a former diplomat, and a child health expert. This issue once again brings to the forefront the grim phenomenon of child sexual exploitation, for which the Council of the European Union is expected to soon make an official and final decision on a proposal regarding the fight against child sexual exploitation and child pornography, following continuous discussions and negotiations among member states that have been ongoing for the past two years.

The Council is asked whether it is satisfied with the current policy it has followed on the issue of child sexual exploitation and whether it believes that additional measures are required to effectively address this serious phenomenon at the European level, which constitutes a blatant violation of human rights and human dignity.