Law Enforcement Cracks Down on Child Exploitation in France and Spain

Real Tragedies of Child Exploitation Revealed in France and Spain

In a stark reminder of the grim realities of child exploitation, French authorities have recently convicted several men for engaging in sexual acts with a minor. The Pontoise court, situated in Val-d'Oise, has handed down sentences to five men, mandating eighteen months in prison, twelve of which are suspended. Additionally, these men must complete awareness training and pay fines to the victim and the association, Agir contre la prostitution des enfants. Another defendant was acquitted due to the benefit of the doubt. The case involved an ambulance driver, an accountant, an auto inspection employee, a video surveillance technician, a heat pump salesperson, and a restaurant manager—all seemingly ordinary individuals who converged at hotels in Herblay seeking paid sexual services with a minor aged just under 13 years old.

Meanwhile, in Spain, a horrifying case from Mallorca has come to light, with police arresting a 49-year-old man for keeping a twelve-year-old girl as a slave over five years. The man, who had posed as a humanitarian, had convinced the girl's mother to marry him and relocate from Africa to Spain. Shortly after arranging the marriage, he ended it but retained custody of the girl. He is accused of producing and uploading child pornography and subjecting the girl to inhumane living conditions, locking her in a dark basement. Following threats of deportation, the mother sought help from the Hermanas Oblatas, an order supporting women in need, which led to a police investigation and the man's arrest.