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.
Many global businesses are run with consideration for the well-being of the people whose lives they touch. But others—whether through incompetence or by design— seriously harm the communities around them, their workers, and even the governments...Read More
Most in the anti-human trafficking and modern slavery community agree that trafficking activities are aided and facilitated by corruption. Yet research shows that the available data supporting this assumption is thin. More evidence is needed to bette...Read More
In December 2020, the Lebanese Parliament passed the landmark Law 205 against sexual harassment that could see perpetrators spend up to four years in prison and pay fines up to fifty times the minimum wage. The law additionally affords protection to...Read More
This report assesses children’s vulnerability to CSEC across the WB6 and focuses specifically on online sexual exploitation of children and sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT). It also provides an overview of what law enf...Read More
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