Belgium is stepping up its efforts to tackle the trafficking of children, amid a "worrying increase in prostitution by minors" in the country, announced the Federal Police on Monday.
The pledge for firmer action follows a meeting last week in Charleroi to discuss the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), a security initiative involving EU Member States and other European agencies, such as Europol.
Tackling human trafficking will be a key focus of European efforts to stop the exploitation of minors, with the Belgian police set to play a central role in this fight, according to a Federal Police statement on Monday.
A particular focus will be placed on tackling the forced criminalisation of children (when they are forced to commit crimes like organised theft) and the exploitation of minors in prostitution, where a minor is led to perform a sexual act in exchange for compensation, such as accommodation, gifts, or money.
Minors as victims, not perpetrators
Belgium is among the several European countries that recurrently treat exploited minors as suspects rather than victims during criminal proceedings, according to the Federal Police.
Now, national authorities will work to guarantee that exploited children are recognised as victims by their respective justice systems as part of the wider European efforts against child trafficking.
The Belgian authorities pointed to numerous incidents where minors who are forced to sell drugs or steal are treated by justice systems as regular dealers or thieves, when in reality, the children are sometimes acting under duress, threats or family pressure.
Such cases can result in exploited children not having access to the protections granted to victims of human trafficking.
The issue further weakens international investigations and makes it more difficult for the actual perpetrators behind criminal networks to be brought to justice, explained the Federal Police.
Image taken during the EMPACT meeting in Charleroi. Credit: Federal Police
Additionally, European authorities are set to step up their efforts to target the logistical networks involved in the exploitation of minors.
These networks include, for example, those involved in the transportation of minors, the recruitment of children on social networks, and those who manage "prostitution venues".
"Because they operate 'behind the scenes', these facilitators often escape prosecution, as investigations remain too focused on the visible exploiters or the minors themselves," reads the statement by the Federal Police.
'Worrying increase' in sexual exploitation
The news of Belgium's commitment to the EMPACT priorities follows a "worrying increase in prostitution by minors" in the country, as emphasised by the Federal Police on Monday.
Last year, the Brussels-based child protection agency, Child Focus, opened 151 new cases related to the sexual exploitation of minors in prostitution, a 60% increase compared to 2024. In over half of the cases in 2025, the victims were under the age of 16.
In certain cases, this form of sexual exploitation can also be considered a form of human trafficking depending on the circumstances.
Credit: Child Focus
According to Child Focus, cases of sexual exploitation of minors can be extremely varied and complex, with victims sometimes being pressured to recruit other minors.
The methods to recruit and control victims are increasingly becoming more violent and coercive, according to the child protection group. These methods include combinations of coercion, humiliation, psychological pressure and the creation of a dependence on substances like drugs or alcohol.
"The role of social media in this issue should not be underestimated," a Child Focus spokesperson explained in a statement in late February. "It allows perpetrators to recruit victims online and…it allows them to exert pressure on victims who have already been recruited through sextortion (sexual extortion)."
Brussels' headquarters of Child Focus, a Belgian foundation that investigates child abuse. Credit: Belga/Siska Gremmelprez
The Brussels-based organisation "sounded the alarm" last week over the pressure felt by frontline services amid the growing number of reports of exploitation in Belgium.
"The sexual exploitation of minors is a phenomenon that transcends institutional boundaries and therefore requires multi-sectoral, stable and sustainable responses. It is an emergency, because the phenomenon continues to grow and become more violent," said Director General of Child Focus, Nel Broothaerts.
