THE ISSUE OF ENTICEMENT OF CHILDREN FOR SATISFACTION OF SEXUAL NEEDS IN EUROPEAN AND CROATIAN CRIMINAL LAW

Abstract

Today's society is greatly influenced by information and communication technology, which is also one of the most important components of everyday life. Despite of its numerous benefits, it also has a negative side, which includes committing criminal offences. The criminal offence in question, which is the topic of this thesis; is an example how criminal acts of sexual abuse of children can also be committed through information and communication technologies in accordance with the ubiquitous technological progress. The criminal offence of Enticement of Children for Satisfaction of Sexual Needs („grooming“) was established by the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse of 2007, the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography of 2011, which set out the obligation to criminalize the offences in question in the national legislation of the Member States. This refers, according to the definition, to the incrimination of an intentional act of adults using information and communication technologies arranged by a meeting with a child with the intention of participating in sexual activities under condition that the person take concrete measures to realize the meeting.  Article 161 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Croatia of 2011 criminalized the offence of Enticement of Children for Satisfaction of Sexual Needs. In this context, the paper deals with the characteristics of the presented crime from different aspects.