Minsk – Two girls aged just seven and five are among the latest victims of sexual exploitation in Belarus. Their mothers were paid to allow men to film their daughters being abused. 

This real-life horror story concerns two girls recently assisted by IOM Belarus. Sadly, the phenomenon is on the rise, and being luridly reported in the press.  

Overall, the Ministry of Interior of Belarus reports an increase in child victims of trafficking: 21 per cent of all victims of trafficking in 2018, compared to just 11 per cent in 2015.  

“Child sexual abuse, including online abuse, is a serious problem in Belarus,” says Dmitry Tsayun of the Ministry for Interior. “Seven years ago, we began to focus on countering sexual exploitation and abuse towards children. Since then the number of identified crimes has doubled. It’s a hidden problem requiring greater attention and a comprehensive approach.”  

In response, IOM last year launched a nation-wide awareness campaign: ‘Teach Children To See Lies’, targeting parents. It also set out to provide specialized training to those involved in identification and reintegration of victims of trafficking, including child victims of sexual exploitation.  

IOM brought the best expertise from regional and international levels to support the authorities in shaping a better way of identification and referral of children suffering from sexual exploitation, including online cases. 

Helliana Berner, Child Protection Officer from IOM, was part of two intensive training events for 60 government and civil society partners which finished in the Belarusian capital Minsk this week. “I am really impressed with the expertise from the Government and NGOs gathered in one room. They are all trying to come up with nationally recognized standards to fight this shocking crime which wrecks innocent lives.” 

With the focus on prevention of sexual exploitation online, IOM enlisted the help of EPAM Systems, the leading software company in Central and Eastern Europe. The IT giant has previously worked with IOM in the area of prevention and was brought in to explain Internet safety principles and specifics to the partners.  

“To tackle sexual exploitation online, you have to understand how the Internet works today, how the personal data is collected, what are the tricks that could be used by abusers,” noted Pavel Demidchik, EPAM specialist.   

“We need to get behind the scenes and understand what happens there, especially when it comes to child protection.” 

For more information, contact Olga Borzenkova at IOM Belarus, Tel: +375 17 2882742, E-mail: oborzenkova@iom.int