New EU law removes barriers that prevent childhood sexual abuse survivors from accessing justice

Brussels, 22 June 2026 – On Monday, the EU agreed to a new law to fight childhood sexual abuse and exploitation, covering controversial issues such as consent and statute of limitations. This agreement is reached while tensions remain high in the negotiations on the Regulation to fight childhood sexual abuse online.

In a significant step forward, the Directive will remove the barriers that prevent many survivors of childhood sexual abuse across Europe from accessing justice. In particular, this law will give victims of rape in childhood until they are 50 years old to report in all 27 EU member states. The Directive defines many new forms of online childhood sexual abuse, including grooming, livestreaming and AI-generated childhood sexual abuse. It constitutes the first EU law that mentions “survivors” and the need for recognition of all persons affected by sexual violence in their childhood. It also establishes a consent-based definition of sexual abuse for crimes committed against children who are above the legal age of consent.

Under negotiation for two years, the Child Sexual Abuse Directive now establishes that the most severe forms of childhood sexual abuse can be prosecuted for up to 32 years after the age of majority (until the victim reaches age 50). The time limit established for almost all other forms of childhood sexual abuse is of up to 20 years after the age of majority (until the victim reaches age 38). This is a crucial step forward for survivors across the EU as this new law will give them longer to access justice. The average age that survivors report childhood sexual abuse is 52, as it can take decades to navigate cultural stigmas or come to terms with their abuse, and one of the psychological impacts can be repressed memories from childhood.

The Directive also marks the first time that any EU law mentions the term "survivor", which is a recognition that because of the nature of the crime and the trauma resulting from it, many survivors never come forward. Many prefer to be referred to as “survivor” instead of “victim”, and this recognition constitutes a significant symbolic move for survivors around the EU.

For the Brave Movement, this agreement represents the culmination of four years of survivor-led advocacy across Europe and beyond. Since its launch in 2022, the movement has campaigned for longer and ultimately abolished statutes of limitations for childhood sexual abuse, stronger protections against online abuse and exploitation, and formal recognition of survivors in law and policy. Through advocacy, public testimony, research, and direct engagement with European institutions, survivor leaders have helped ensure that the realities of childhood sexual violence are reflected in this legislation. The Brave Movement is deeply proud of the many survivors and allies who have courageously spoken out, shared their experiences, and demanded change. Today’s agreement is a testament to their leadership, persistence, and unwavering commitment to prevention, healing, and justice.

Technical negotiations on a few non-controversial issues will now continue before a vote in the European Parliament and the Council in the autumn.

Brave Movement spokesperson, Miguel Hurtado Calvo: “This Directive is a vital step toward ensuring effective access to justice for survivors across the European Union. For too long, whether a child could see their abuser held to account has been a cruel 'postcode lottery.'

My own abuser—a Catholic monk—avoided any jail time because the statute of limitations had run out, despite his abuse of 12 children over three decades. No survivor should ever be denied justice because of an arbitrary legal deadline. While today’s decision brings much-needed consistency, it is not the end of the road. Our ultimate goal remains the full abolition of both criminal and civil statutes of limitations for childhood sexual abuse across every EU member state.”

Brave Movement spokesperson, Matthew McVarish: “Today, the EU has made a bold move forward in the fight against childhood sexual abuse. Its inclusion of the word ‘survivors’ recognises that because of outdated stigma, fear or misplaced shame, in 2026 this is still a silent crime where most victims never achieve legal redress. Survivors often never reach the stage where they feel capable of coming forward and yet, when they finally do, are still denied access to justice. This Directive makes significant steps to recognise and change that.”