An exhibition of art created by victims and survivors of childhood sexual abuse was opened today at the Council of Europe to mark the 15th anniversary of the entry into force of the Lanzarote Convention, the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.
Fifteen works of visual art, as well as spoken and written word, share the lived experiences of the victims and survivors from six different countries, including the Council of Europe member states Finland, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The works are accompanied by the authors' words, including their thoughts about the most important measures States can take to prevent child sexual abuse.
"This exhibition isn't just about raising awareness-it's about shattering the conspiracy of silence that still protects perpetrators and fails our children. If we've learned anything in these 15 years, it's that legal frameworks alone cannot break taboos. The fight to protect children from sexual abuse is as urgent today because silence remains the abuser's greatest ally. We must move from having laws on paper to creating societies where children's voices are heard, believed, and protected," said Marja Ruotanen, Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Council of Europe, at the opening of the exhibition.
The exhibition is organised by the Council of Europe's Children's Rights Division under the auspices of the Maltese Presidency of the Committee of Ministers and in partnership with the Brave Movement, a global association of survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Matthew McVarish, Co-Founder of the Brave Movement, also spoke at the opening of the event.
The Lanzarote Convention requires criminalisation of all kinds of sexual offences against children. It sets out that states in Europe and beyond shall adopt specific legislation and take measures to prevent sexual violence, to protect child victims and to prosecute perpetrators. This is the first international treaty dedicated specifically to the protection of children from sexual offences. Adopted in Lanzarote, Spain in 2007, it entered into force in 2010. All 46 Member States of the Council of Europe have signed and ratified it. The Russian Federation has also signed and ratified the Convention; Tunisia acceded to it and thus became the first non-European State Party.
