The Child Liberation Foundation (CLF) was honored to participate in the Intersectoral Roundtable Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (ESCNNA), held on May 22, 2025, in Medellín. The session took place at the Faculty of Public Health of the University of Antioquia, following an invitation from Jazmín Santa, who contacted CLF via the foundation’s official social media channels. CLF was represented by psychologist Andrés Flórez.
Addressing Challenges in Preventing Child Sexual Exploitation in Colombia
The Intersectoral Roundtable brought together key actors from various institutions to evaluate the current state of efforts to prevent and respond to child sexual exploitation in Colombia. Participants collaborated in small working groups to assess institutional strengths and weaknesses. Key concerns raised included:
- Lack of sustained political will to address exploitation structurally
- Absence of a unified national registry for reporting abuse cases
- Shortage of trained, specialized personnel to support victims
- Extremely high impunity rates, with up to 95% of cases going unpunished
- Bureaucratic delays that hinder timely access to justice
- Lenient sentencing in sexual crimes against minors
Building Strategic Alliances to Protect Children
During the Intersectoral Roundtable, CLF established new connections with other organizations, including Fundación Lucerito, led by Ingrid Wolff. With over 20 years of experience in child abuse prevention, Lucerito expressed interest in collaborative efforts with CLF to strengthen inter-institutional networks and knowledge sharing.
Psychologist Andrés Flórez also joined two thematic commissions within the ESCNNA working group: Knowledge Management and Prevention. He now awaits confirmation of future meetings to engage in continued intersectoral coordination.
Our Ongoing Commitment
The Child Liberation Foundation remains deeply committed to the protection of children’s rights and views collaboration between government bodies, civil society, and NGOs as vital to eradicating sexual violence against minors. We believe that only through united, structured, and informed action can we create lasting change.