Assembly
debate on 26 January 2024 (7th sitting) (see Doc. 15889, report of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and
Sustainable Development, rapporteur: Mr Pierre-Alain Fridez; and
oral opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights,
rapporteur: Mr Constantinos Efstathiou). Text
adopted by the Assembly on 26 January 2024 (7th sitting).
1. Referring to its Resolution 2533 (2024) “Child
abuse in institutions in Europe”, the Parliamentary Assembly proposes
to take advantage of good practice and wishes to open a Europe-wide
debate on the full reparation for crimes committed against children
in public, private and religious institutions in Europe.
2. The Assembly welcomes the launch by the Committee of the Parties
to the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation
and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Committee) of the third monitoring round on
the protection of children against sexual abuse in the circle of
trust.
3. The Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to encourage
the Lanzarote Committee to:
3.1 take
into account the example of good practice in Switzerland, which
has recognised its share of the responsibility for violations of
the rights of children placed in institutions and has presented
public apologies to victims;
3.2 support the memorial efforts of member States, as well
as co-operation and exchange of good practices, by encouraging the
creation of such memorials which commemorate the victims of institutional mistreatment
and highlight the fundamental values of the Council of Europe –
human rights, democracy and the rule of law – in order to educate
future generations on the best interests of the child and the protection
of its well-being.
4. Finally, it encourages the Committee of Ministers to support
the efforts of member States to recognise the suffering inflicted
and deal with its consequences; issue an official and formal apology
to past and present victims subjected to any form of physical, sexual
or psychological violence, regardless of their age; compensate victims
for the damage suffered with no time limit in relation to how long
ago the offence occurred; and prosecute the perpetrators of such
crimes without a statute of limitations.
