70 thousand signals for downloading and distributing materials with child sexual exploitation from Bulgarian IP addresses were received on the hotline 124 123 of the National Center for Safer Internet (NCSI) only in 2024. These are signals in which children mainly between the ages of 10 and 13 are victims of crime.
The data was presented at the round table “Protection of Children from Online Violence“, which was attended by the Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev.
In 72% of cases, children become victims of online sexual harassment on social networks, according to data from the NCSI. The Center is a trusted partner of the Cybercrime Directorate of the Bulgarian Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Interpol INHOPE network.
Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev noted that this is a huge job done by the NGO and in partnership with the Ministry of Interior. He emphasized that his team works hard with the NGO sector on various initiatives, because in many areas it is a leader in providing modern and high-quality social services and services for the protection of children and prevention of domestic violence.
„Our task is to be able to adequately and categorically protect child victims of crime. At the same time, however, the Ministry of Justice is also beginning the process of drafting a completely new law on juvenile justice, which concerns violations and crimes committed by minors and juveniles“, said Georgiev.
He explained that the regulatory framework regarding antisocial behavior and violations of public order by adolescents and working with them is archaic and irretrievably outdated. “That is why I have formed a working group, which includes representatives of the court, the prosecutor's office, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the academic community and the non-governmental sector. Its task is to analyze statistical data, good practices from EU member states, study the practice of courts and commissions for combating antisocial behavior of minors and juveniles, and propose a completely new working model for juvenile justice, which concerns both punishments and prevention and re-educational impact“.