17/11/2005

Child protection is a global issue says Rooker

Minister for Children and Young People, Jeff Rooker has highlighted the global problems for child protection arising from the Internet.

Speaking at a 'Child Protection and the Internet' conference held in Belfast, the Minister said that the problem was not something which a single country or jurisdiction, or indeed a single agency, could tackle alone.

"This issue is one which must be tackled on many fronts. Those who use the Internet to distribute horrific photographs of children or to prey on children in chat rooms need to be caught and brought to justice," the Minister said.

"Providers need to offer technological protective mechanisms; and children who appear in pornographic photographs need to be spared the abuse in the first place. Crucially, there is a key role for educators in schools and indeed parents in the home."

Earlier this week, the Government unveiled plans for a new UK centre aimed at protecting children from paedophiles on the internet.

Under the plans investigators, industry figures and child protection specialists from over 20 different countries will share their expertise on limiting access to child abuse images, safeguarding children online and tracking down and protecting children identified in abuse images.

Based in London, with up to 100 staff, the new Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre will be headed by former PSNI Superintendent Jim Gamble, who is also deputy director with the National Crime Squad.

(MB/SP)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

23 June 2003
More action needed for cross-border child protection
A report on a North/South Conference on Child Protection has called for more action to be taken. Held last September, the conference gave local professionals a chance to discuss recommendations for a common approach to all child protection systems between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
26 February 2009
Child Protection Fillip
News that over 70 new posts are to be created in Northern Ireland's social services is being hailed as a major move toward strengthening Northern Ireland's child protection measures. NI Health Minister Michael McGimspey has announced a £3.
01 May 2013
Safeguarding Children A 'Cross-Border Priority'
Sharing lessons learned on the protection and safeguarding of children is a cross border priority, according to Health Minister Edwin Poots. The Minister made the announcement with Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The two were addressing the first All Island Conference on child protection today.
10 November 2010
Ireland-wide Child Protection Hub On-line
The task of protecting children from on-line 'predators' has gone all-Ireland with news of an new initiative. The Stormont Social Services Minister and the Dáil Minister for Children and Youth Affairs have launched a new on-line child protection Internet resource.
20 March 2006
Government announce child protection measures
Health Minister Shaun Woodward has today unveiled what have been described as the most significant child protection measures in Northern Ireland for more than a decade.