(AGENPARL) – dom 20 novembre 2022 18 November 2022
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Australian support for enhanced INTERPOL database to combat
online child abuse
New technologies will help speed victim identification process
LYON, France
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is contributing AUD 815,000 for a significant enhancement to
INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database.
The ICSE database is a ground
breaking tool to advance child exploitation investigations through
strengthened global information sharing.
The upgrade, known as ICSE Next Generation, is designed to speed up the process by which investigators
identify victi
ms in child exploitation material, through integration of the latest technologies for improved text, audio
and video analysis, facial recognition, and artificial intelligence.
Launched 13 years ago, ICSE currently connects specialist investigators in 68
countries and has so far assisted
in the identification of more than 31,000 victims, including 860 victims in Australia.
On average, around seven victims are identified every day.
Offenders identified
In addition, more than 14,000 offenders have been
tracked and arrested by law enforcement, including 349
in Australia.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the AFP’s partnership with INTERPOL to support the upgrade of the
database highlighted the commitment of law enforcement to protecting children aroun
d the world, while bringing
offenders to justice.
“We know we can’t win this important battle alone. The advancement of this database is a game changer for
how law enforcement around the world can work together to protect our society’s most vulnerable
ur children,”
he said.
Commissioner Kershaw said child protection investigations would be bolstered with law enforcement
agencies avoiding duplication of effort by triaging online child exploitation material multiple times in multiple
jurisdictions.
et, track and disrupt
“This speciali
ed tool means our investigators will be faster and more efficient than ever before, allowing us
and most
importantly, b
ring them to justice.
“The AFP is proud to partner with INTERPOL, along with our state, Commonwealth and international law
enforcement counterparts,
to combat this insidious crime
,” concluded Commissioner
Kersha
18 November 2022
Page
INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said, “The AFP’s decision to pro
vide this funding underlines its
strong and unwavering commitment to child protection, as well as its confidence in INTERPOL’s ICSE database which
is a vital policing tool.
“We are seeing a consistent, and worrying, increase in the amount of online child
sexual abuse and
exploitation material, where every image is evidence of a crime.
“Only through global cooperation, supported by the latest technologies, can law enforcement effectively
work to identify and rescue victims around the world,” concluded Secretary General Stock.
The AFP
led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation
(ACCCE) and AFP Child Protection Operations
frequently contribute to the ICSE database, ensuring that investigators in other countries can benefit from the work
undertaken in Australia to help identify victims.
In May 2022, the ACCCE VIU hosted the third
National Victim Identification Taskforce, during which more
than 3,500 files were de
conflicted against the ICSE database, with images from 55 newly
identified victims added
for potential identification.