The “Protecting Children Against Sexual Offences in ASEAN” report covers legal protections for children against sexual exploitation and abuse across the ASEAN Member States, providing a useful resource for those working to improve child protection in the region.

The report was published on 2 February 2023 by the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (‘ICMEC’).

At SOK SIPHANA & ASSOCIATES, we firmly believe that safeguarding children from sexual offenses is a crucial priority.

Our team Matthew Rendall, Shan Berg Liew, Soeun Tharith, Sok Rosette, Hout SreyPich, Sonika Neou, and Revit Tor was honored to contribute to the Cambodian section of the report.

SOK SIPHANA & ASSOCIATES conducted an analysis of the legal framework in Cambodia pertaining to child protection, encompassing laws concerning child protection against sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and pornography, as well as laws pertaining to the impact of marriage on the perpetration of sexual exploitation and human trafficking crimes. Furthermore, we provided our observations regarding the severity of these offenses, considering different circumstances involving aggravating factors.

The report includes:

• Current laws covering sexual offenses
• Gender-specific laws
• Reporting obligations
• Penalties and sentencing
• Defense to sexual offenses
• Registration of child sex offenders
• Domestic laws in an international context
• International conventions

ASEAN Member States established a Regional Plan of Action for the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Abuse and Exploitation in February 2022, with a focus on promoting comprehensive national legal frameworks and improving child protection standards and policies for online exploitation and abuse.

The report recommends that ASEAN countries take steps to close gaps in protection and improve enforcement and regional cooperation. This includes ensuring that legislation addresses online sexual offenses and that extradition treaties effectively deter and enforce sexual offenses.

To read the full report:  https://www.icmec.org/asean/

About the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children: 

ICMEC aims to protect children from exploitation, abuse, and abduction through various initiatives including global search efforts for missing children, disrupting commercial child exploitation, and training frontline professionals to prevent and respond to child abuse cases. With over 20 years of experience in over 120 countries, ICMEC provides tools, training, and technology to create a safer world for children. ICMEC is headquartered in the US and has regional representation in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore.