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Editor’s note: Images are available via Hightail

The AFP is supporting Sri Lanka Police (SLP) in combatting online child abuse, with two SLP officers visiting the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) and meeting investigators from the Queensland Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (QLD JACET) in August.

The AFP is highlighting the visit as part of National Child Protection Week 2024 to reinforce the importance of the AFP’s international network in fighting online child predators.

SLP Women and Children’s Bureau Deputy Inspector General Renuka Jayasundara and Officer-in-Charge Kandeepan Sirivaraj from the SLP’s newly-created child exploitation team visited Australia between 18-29 August to help the SLP develop key investigative tools and knowledge to fight online child exploitation in Sri Lanka.

The visit was funded through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Australia Awards in South Asia and Mongolia program.

Last week the SLP officers visited the AFP-led ACCCE where they met investigators and officers from the Intelligence Fusion Cell (which supports the triaging and evaluation of child exploitation reports and shares intelligence to domestic and international partners), victim identification specialists and members of the Operations Development and Disruption Unit, who all play key roles in child protection operations in Australia.

The delegation also met with members of the QLD JACET to learn about the value of peer-to-peer databases for sharing insights on the prevalence of child abuse material being shared in the region.

AFP Commander Helen Schneider said the AFP international partnerships were vital to combatting online child abuse networks.

“Online child abuse is a borderless crime with offenders and victims residing in countries around the world, that’s why it’s so important for the AFP to work with our partners to tackle this issue,” she said.

“The AFP-led ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills from around the globe and is a true centre of excellence when it comes to investigating and coordinating the fight against online child abuse.

“Any help or experience we can impart to partners like SLP makes the online environment safer for children, not just in Sri Lanka but also here in Australia and around the world.”

SLP Women and Children’s Bureau Deputy Inspector General Renuka Jayasundara, said the visit was invaluable.

“This has been an incredible experience, a broad exposure to expand our knowledge and how to align globally to combatting child exploitation,” she said.

“Visiting the ACCCE showed us the importance of collaboration among key stakeholders, we as police cannot do it alone.

“Seeing how the JACET conduct their work in an operational setting really gave us great insight into how we as SLP can develop our capability in protecting children.”

AFP Senior Officer Sri Lanka and Maldives Matthew Innes said the delegation of SLP attending the AFP-led ACCCE was a reflection of the strong relationship between the AFP and the SLP. 

“Our involvement with the development of the Women and Children’s Command represents the first phase of another facet of our long and productive partnership with the SLP,” he said.

More information on National Child Protection Week and how to get involved can be found at the National Association for Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect website.

The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the ACCCE is driving a collaborative national approach to combatting child abuse.

The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into online child sexual exploitation and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.

Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.

If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available.

Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety. Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at the ThinkUKnow website, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.

For more information on the role of the ACCCE, what is online child sexual exploitation and how to report it visit the ACCCE website.

Note to media

Use of term 'CHILD ABUSE' MATERIAL not ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’

The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material – the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.

Use of the phrase ‘child pornography’ is inaccurate and benefits child sex abusers because it:

• indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and
• conjures images of children posing in 'provocative' positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.

Every photograph or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.