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Proposed FPB hotline for reporting child abuse images on the Internet
A South African delegation led by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nquakula has returned from a weeklong fact finding mission to the UK on combating child pornography or "child abuse images".
The other members of the delegation included: chair of the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee Mr Mpho Scott, MP and member of the Home Affairs and Safety and Security Portfolio Committees Ms A van Wyk, Superintendent Jan Swart of the Child Protection Unit as well as Ivayar Chetty, Acting CEO of the Film and Publication Board.
Given the present lack of resources, capacity and skills of South Africa to investigate child abuse images, the purpose of the visit was to see how UK authorities deal with the problem and to seek advice and assistance. The delegation met with officials from the National High Tech Crime Unit, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) as well as Dr Alyson MacVean, Head of the John Grieve Centre for Policing and Community Safety and David Lowe of the Special Crimes Unit of the National Criminal Intelligence Services. Discussions included devising strategies for combating the proliferation of child abuse images in South Africa and opportunities for co-operation.
A younger, computer-literate generation is downloading child abuse images from the Internet. Often they are individuals with sophisticated IT skills who know how to use encryption to protect the images. "Every child abuse image represents a crime against a real child, " said Mr Chetty of the Film and Publication Board. "Given the international nature of the Internet, international co-operation is essential for the effective investigation of this disturbing trend in child abuse images in South Africa."
As a result of the visit the Deputy Minister is proposing to set up a hotline at the Film and Publication Board for the public to report incidences of child pornography they may come across on the Internet. There is also a possibility that the National High Tech Crime Unit will offer training to the South African Child Protection Unit in the form of attachments to the UK or experts coming to South Africa.
For more information contact Film and Publication Board (021) 465 6518 or email
