Last Monday in Rome a campaign was launched to raise public awareness about sexual abuse and violence against children. As a premise to the campaign is the ratification of the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. Turkey was represented in Rome by minister of State for Women and Family Issues Selma Aliye Kavaf. It was somehow an embarrassing participation for Turkey as indeed the Turkish Parliament has failed to ratify the Convention before the meeting in Rome as the government had planned.

More than 40 countries have signed the Council of Europe Convention which came into force July 1 and aims to prevent sexual offenses against children, prosecute perpetrators and protect child victims of violence and sexual abuse.

The convention addresses all forms of sexual violence against children, including abuse perpetrated within the family, child prostitution and pornography, the coercion of children into participating in pornographic performances and sex tourism.