Counter Pedophilia Investigate Unit

The South African government is creating and enforcing various pieces of legislation to protect the interests of children (Photo: Films and Publication Board)

The Department of Home Affairs has announced that it is working with other government departments, the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority to develop a protocol on the protection of children against child pornography, with a focus on advocacy and law enforcement.

Increased access to technology

The decision was taken at a meeting between the Deputy Basic Education Minister Enver Surty, Deputy Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and Deputy Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba during a presentation by the Film and Publication Board on their campaign against child pornography in Pretoria this week.

“The increase of access to technology and mobile internet, with all its benefits, poses risks such as creation and distribution of child pornography. We need to be proactive in protecting children against this heinous crime,” Gigaba said.

He said the lack of statistics about child pornography should not lead to complacency in protecting children.

Government departments working on the protocol include the departments of basic education, social development, and justice and constitutional development.

Outright media ban

Gigaba added that he would explore an outright ban on pornography in the public media, as is the practice in countries such as China and India.

“To this extent, I will approach the Law Reform Commission with a view to requesting them to investigate and advise on the possibility of such a move,” he said.

Pro Child website

In a bid to discourage child pornography in the public domain, the department last year launched the FPB Pro Child website to enable members of the public to report incidences of pornography.

The website, www.fpbprochild.org.za, aims to alert internet service providers of criminal activities relating to child pornography, or images of sexual abuse hosted on their servers or through their infrastructure.

Source: BuaNews