On the occasion of the 8th European Day for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Violence, the police in North Rhine-Westphalia are launching a campaign lasting several days on Friday (18 November 2022). This year's focus is on the topic of "cybergrooming", i.e. the targeted initiation of sexual contact with minors via the internet.
"Unsuspecting children and young people are manipulated by supposed peers; potential abusers gain their trust and play on their emotions," says Interior Minister Herbert Reul.
The perpetrators often persuade the minors to take revealing self-portraits of themselves and send them. The images and videos are then used as leverage. Those affected are asked to make payments to the unknown perpetrators so that the images are not published. Sometimes the perpetrators even try to meet up with the victims, which comes with the risk of being abused in the worst case. For 2021, the police crime statistics show 1,088 cases of cybergrooming (2020: 534).
Interior Minister Herbert Reul: "Especially during the pandemic, the screen time of children and young people has increased once again. They spend even more time and longer online. However, the internet harbors many dangers." Criminals deliberately exploit the inexperience and naivety of children and young people. "It is therefore important that children are given better media skills. Parents need to talk to their children early on about the potential dangers of the internet and explain the consequences of their own actions," says Reul.
In addition to the Ministry of the Interior and the State Criminal Police Office of North Rhine-Westphalia (LKA), all 47 district police authorities are participating with analog and digital campaigns, such as postings on social media, to draw attention to the problem. The campaign is aimed at parents, young people and children.
The campaign days will run from November 21 to November 25, 2022. People who have information about possible sexual abuse of children and young people or violence against them can contact the information hotline of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office of Criminal Investigation on 0800 0 431 431. Almost 400 calls have been received since the hotline was set up in October 2021. In 130 cases, existing criminal proceedings were enriched or new criminal proceedings were initiated as a result.
Further information and videos can be found under the following links:
