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This site contains sensitive content that includes references to sexual violence.
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Indicator
4.7 Specialized law enforcement and international cooperation mechanisms
Specialised law enforcement and international co-operation mechanisms
How to interpret your country's score
| Indicator | What it measures | Why it matters | Score range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7 Dedicated law enforcement | Two sub-indicators covering specialized sexual violence against children units and connection to INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database | Specialized capacity and cross-border cooperation improve investigations and outcomes | 0–3 |
This indicator is composed of two sub-indicators (4.7.1–4.7.2). Use these to identify whether your country has the specialized capacity needed to investigate sexual violence against children (SVAC) and adolescents effectively.
4.7.1 Specialized law enforcement unit/officers for investigating sexual violence against children and adolescents
| 0 | No specialized law enforcement unit or designated officers for investigating sexual violence against children and adolescents, or no information is publicly available. |
| 1 | The country has a specialized law enforcement unit or designated specialized officers responsible for investigating SVAC. |
4.7.2 Country is connected to INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database
| 0 | The country is not connected to INTERPOL's International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database, or no information is publicly available. |
| 1 | The country is connected to the INTERPOL’s ICSE database. |
4.7.1. Specialized law enforcement units
Investigating sexual violence against children requires expertise. Specialized units and trained personnel improve investigations, reduce retraumatization, and increase the likelihood of successful prosecution.
Nine countries do not yet have specialist law enforcement units or trained personnel to handle sexual violence against children cases.
Five in six countries have at least some specialized law enforcement units or trained personnel within existing offices. It is critical that these countries now focus on the quality of services provided and ensure they are accessible in all regions.
4.7.2. INTERPOL database
Connectivity to the International Criminal Police Organization’s (INTERPOL) International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database allows member countries to access cross-border information that can facilitate victim and perpetrator identification and help prevent re-victimization and facilitate healing and justice.
Data explorer
From indicators to budget lines
Use this as a guide to strengthen your advocacy requests and create targeted ‘asks’ to decision-makers within the right Ministry (for example: Foreign Affairs, Social Welfare, or Finance)
| Indicator | What it tracks | Budget-line-to target | Template language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7 Dedicated law enforcement (4.7.1–4.7.2) | Whether the country has specialized units and INTERPOL database connectivity for investigating sexual violence against children | Ministry of Interior / Police: specialized unit staffing, training, equipment, INTERPOL database access and connectivity | “Allocate [amount] to establish and deploy specialized law enforcement units for investigating sexual violence against children across [number] regions, including INTERPOL database connectivity and specialized training.” |
How to put a number on your ask
Break your ask into building blocks a Finance Ministry would recognize. Even a rough component-based estimate signals seriousness:
| Indicator | Examples of components to estimate |
|---|---|
| 4.7 Dedicated law enforcement | Specialized unit staffing and recruitment; INTERPOL database connectivity; investigator training; equipment and vehicles for regional deployment |
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Share your storyData driving change
Third Richest Nation
www.bravemovement.org/campaigns/third-richest-nation
A world without childhood violence would be $7 trillion richer. This nation isn’t real. Its wealth could be. Brave Movement's survivor-led advocacy campaign at the G20 in 2025 pressured decision makers to invest in prevention, healing and justice to create stronger, happier nations.
#BeBrave G7 Scorecard 2025
www.bravemovement.org/g7
By evaluating each G7 nation’s progress on vital policy measures we're drawing global attention to the global, silent pandemic of sexual violence against children. This is a crisis that undermines the G7's commitment to building secure, prosperous, and equitable societies. Kids need bold leadership and decisive action now to be safe and thrive.
Break the record
www.togetherforgirls.org/en/press/a-record-breaking-event-now-governments-must-deliver
We broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for the most countries represented at a childhood violence summit! With 120 governments attending, this first ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children was the largest organized event to address this issue on a global scale. Most importantly, as a result, we also broke the world’s record of inaction against childhood sexual violence.