SALVUS: Ensuring safer justice outcomes in online and undercover child sexual abuse investigations

The SALVUS project, which is funded by the European Union, aims to engage with and understand the current practices and needs of law enforcement agencies, forensic institutes, policymakers, and legal systems in online investigations of online child sexual abuse (CSA). The overarching goal of the project is to enable safer justice outcomes by strengthening the EU’s ability to prosecute CSA crimes.

 

The aims of the SALVUS project are to provide evidence-based knowledge and understanding of CSA online and undercover investigations and their relationship to obligations to ensure the legality of evidence collection, developed from child-centred and human rights core perspectives.

 

Stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and research will identify:

• Current gaps in knowledge, best practice and legislative frameworks in relation to

online, including undercover, CSA investigations

• Biases and challenges investigators face

• Opportunities to strengthen legality, safety and justice outcomes

 

The findings will feed into the development of a holistic suite of innovative recommendations, best practice guidance and training to remedy international, regional and national shortcomings, helping law enforcement authorities, forensic institutes, and policy / lawmakers to ensure safer justice outcomes. Further, the project will explore approaches to harmonise European Law and enable a uniformity of practice for the collection of evidence in CSA online investigations, in line with European values and fundamental rights.