The European Union has funded the SALVUS project, which aims to engage with and understand the current practices and needs of law enforcement agencies, forensic institutes, policymakers, and legal systems in online investigations of online child sexual abuse (CSA). This is to enable safer justice outcomes by strengthening the EU’s ability to prosecute CSA crimes
The aims of the SALVUS project are to provide evidence-based knowledge and understanding of CSA online and undercover investigations and their relationship to obligations to ensure the legality of evidence collection, developed from a child-centred and human rights core perspective. Stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and research will identify:
- Current gaps in knowledge, best practice and legislative frameworks in relation to online, including undercover, CSA investigations
- Biases and challenges investigators face
- Opportunities to strengthen legality, safety and justice outcomes
The findings will feed into the development of a holistic suite of innovative recommendations, best practice guidance and training to remedy regional and national shortcomings, helping law enforcement authorities, forensic institutes, and policy / law-makers to ensure safer justice outcomes. Further, the project will explore approaches to harmonise European Law and enable a uniformity of practice for the collection of evidence in CSA online investigations, in line with European values and fundamental rights.
SALVUS Practitioner network
A key part of this project is to develop a multi-disciplinary practitioner network from law enforcement, legal professions, child protection services, health professions, NGOs, non-profit organisations, and academic or other research institutions. The Network is a group of key stakeholders involved in CSA investigations who can help shape and influence our work. If you work in this area and interested to join the Practitioner Network and /or interested to participate in our research activities, such as via workshops or interviews, please email –
Project partners
The Police Foundation will be working in collaboration with a consortium of organisations from across multiple European countries to deliver SALVUS:
- Trilateral Research Ltd (Ireland)
- Trilateral Research Ltd (UK)
- Network for Children’s Rights (Greece)
- Belgian Federal Police (Belgium)
- University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies (Serbia)
- Ministry of Justice (Portugal)
- Ministry of the Interior (Finland)
- Ghent University (Belgium)
- University of Brussels (Belgium)
- Aston University (UK)
- Gradiant – Galician Telecommunications Technological Centre Foundation (Spain)
- International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) (Switzerland)
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Researchers
Michael Skidmore
Felicity O’Connell