In the Philippines, upholding the best interest of the child is a legal obligation which follows from national and international laws. Examining Supreme Court decisions on the best interest of the child shows that it is primarily applied in custody-related cases, while there is a lack of rulings specifically on cases of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC). This paper examines the potential application of the best interest of the child principle in OSEC proceedings and identifies lessons which can be drawn from existing jurisprudence. Findings include the need to honour the voices of children-survivors and to consider expert opinions. The paper also finds that an OSEC-specific interpretation of the principle should be developed in jurisprudence, particularly considering the risk of retraumatizing survivors during the legal process, with the aim of truly upholding the best interest of the child in the digital age.
The data in this report represents signals and cases from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017 and is accurate as of July 11, 2018. Cases of trafficking may be ongoing or new information may be revealed to the National Hotline over time. Conseq...Read More
Human trafficking is a lucrative crime and violation of human rights that exploits women, children and men. It includes trafficking for forced labour, sexual exploitation, forced begging and military conscription. The health effects of trafficking a...Read More
In October 2003, Congress passed a law allowing trafficking victims to recover civil damages from their traffickers in federal courts, 18 U.S.C. § 1595, now known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). In the almost twent...Read More
Thousands of children affected by modern slavery are being failed by the system. There are at least 5,000 children of modern slavery victims in the UK and the majority are not getting the support they need, with many more potentially lost in the ...Read More
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