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
Partial
Age of sexual consent is 16 years. The national legislation provides for a two-year close-in-age exception for children from the age of 14 or above.
Analysis of country legislation on age of sexual consent, 2024
Extraterritoriality & Extradition
Partial
Kosovan law provides for active extraterritorial jurisdiction over offences committed outside Kosovo by Kosovan citizens if the act is also punishable at the place of its commission (double criminality). Kosovan law provides for passive extraterritorial jurisdiction over offences committed by foreigners outside Kosovo against a Kosovo citizen, if the offence is punishable at the place of its commission (double criminality) and the perpetrator is found or transferred to Kosovo. The Criminal Code provides for universal jurisdiction over crimes in international agreements binding on Kosovo and over some listed crimes, including two SEC related offences (Articles 232: Abuse of children in pornography; and Article 234 (3) (4) and (5): Facilitating or compelling child prostitution).
Citizens of the Republic of Kosovo cannot be extradited against their will except when otherwise required by international law and agreements. Extraditable offences are those where the maximum period punishable by deprivation of liberty is at least one year under both the national law and the law of the requesting state (double criminality). If extradition is requested for the enforcement of a sentence, it may be permitted if the duration of the sentence, or the remaining part of the sentence, exceeds the period of four months of imprisonment. There is no specific provision on the extradition of SEC related offences but all of them would be considered as extraditable as they carry greater penalties (Chapter XX-Criminal Offenses against Sexual Integrity; and Article 183 of the Criminal Code).
Criminal Code,
Law No. 04/L-213 on International Legal Cooperation in Criminal Matters,
Code of Criminal Procedure, 2019, 2013, 2012
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.