Statement on Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (Amendment) Bill 2022

Rape Crisis Network Ireland strongly supports in principle the replacement of “child pornography” in the current legislation with “child sexual exploitation material” outlined in the Child Trafficking and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (Amendment) Bill 2022 brought by Senator Eileen Flynn last week. We would like to congratulate Senator Flynn on this very important initiative. 

As it stands, the Bill would need to have some essential amendments to ensure that it is legally robust: most importantly so that existing prosecutions for child pornography offences are preserved and so that those already subject to the Sex Offenders Act 2001 – who have already been convicted of “child pornography” offences – will continue to be subject to it even when the wording is changed.