Global Progress Towards Ending the Sexual Exploitation of Children
A global problem requires truly global solutions to address the sexual exploitation of children.
Indicators
Age of Consent
Not Yet Assessed
Extraterritoriality & Extradition
Partial
The Croatian Criminal Code provides for the application of active and passive extraterritorial jurisdiction for offences committed outside its territory, including SEC offences. Besides, the Criminal Code extends extraterritoriality in cases in which the criminal offence is committed outside Croatia and the punishment under the Croatian law is of five years or more, if the act is punishable under the law of the state in which it was committed and if the extradition is permitted but has not been made. Double criminality is required for extraterritorial jurisdiction, but it is lifted for some listed SEC related offences and those included in international agreements to which Croatia is a party. The Criminal Code also establishes universal jurisdiction for certain crimes, such as human trafficking.
A national of Croatia may not be extradited to another state. According to the Croatian Criminal Code, extraditable offences are those punishable under domestic law by imprisonment or a security measure with imprisonment for a maximum period of at least one year. Extradition for the purpose of executing sanctions by deprivation of liberty may be granted when a final sentence of imprisonment or security measure with deprivation of liberty has been rendered for at least four months.
SEC offences are referred to as extraditable under the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) framework within the EU without requiring double criminality if the act is punishable by a maximum period of at least three years of imprisonment in the requesting State.
Constitution of the Republic of Croatia,Criminal Code, Law on international mutual legal assistance in criminal matters ‘Narodne novine’ 178/04 ‘the ZOMPO’, Law on Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters with the Member States of the EU, 2014, 2011 (status as of 2022), 2004, 2015
CSAM Definition
Not Yet Assessed
Background Check Required
Not Yet Assessed
National Commitments
Not Yet Assessed
Child Advocacy Centers
Not Yet Assessed
SEC Police Unit
Not Yet Assessed
Protection Standards Travel and Tourism
Not Yet Assessed
Public SEC Case Data
Not Yet Assessed
Age of Consent Law is Appropriate
The age of sexual consent for both males and females is 18 and a close in age exemption (up to 3 years) is provided for consensual sexual relationships between adolescents.
The age of sexual consent is the legally defined age at which a person is considered mature enough to agree to sexual activity. The age of sexual consent varies across jurisdictions around the world and there is no international legal instrument establishing it, however various forms of advocacy have encouraged States to establish a minimum age under which engaging in sexual contact is considered a criminal offence. This is intended to prevent sexual contact with children and to prevent argument that the child consented as a defence.
Often national provisions related to the age of sexual consent include an exception, known as a close-in-age exemption, making consensual sexual activities between young people lawful if the partners are of similar ages and the age difference is not higher than a certain number of years.
To ensure that cases of child sexual exploitation do not go unpunished, ECPAT advocates for the age of sexual consent to be set at 18 for both males and females with a close-in-age exemption of 2-3 years provided in order to ensure young people are not penalised for consensual sexual acts with peers. The age from which the exemption applies should be established by States but may begin for young people somewhere between 12 and 16 years of age.
Yes The national legislation explicitly indicates that the age of sexual consent unequivocally is 18 for both males and females, with a close-in-age exemption for sexual acts between peers (of up to 3 years) is provided by law.