People in Flanders who want to work with children or young people, ranging from football coaches to youth theatre directors, will have to submit an extract of their criminal record to the organisation they work for from 1 February,
By adding an extra layer of protection for children, employees will now need to prove they have no history of child abuse or child mistreatment.
The policy is one of the 71 measures in the action plan designed to combat sexual violence, which the Flemish Government approved previously. It was also one of the recommendations of the special commission looking into cross-border behaviour in sports.
Teachers and youth workers are already required to submit an extract from their criminal records - the former 'certificate of good behaviour and morals' – when they have gone through a job application procedure. On the new initiative of ministers Zuhal Demir and Ben Weyts, that policy is now being extended to other sectors, including the sports sector, and will also apply to all welfare workers working with minors.
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Demir acknowledged that no measure can eliminate every risk of abuse. "Zero risk does not exist. But not taking this simple, logical measure would almost be guilty negligence. Surely you cannot possibly explain that a registered paedophile can move freely at a sports club or drama school," Demir said.
