Since the Covid-19 crisis and the confinements, associations (e-Enfance, Les Papillons, etc.) and specialized police services have noted an exponential increase in reports concerning online child crime. According to the European Union, child pornography content on the Net (a high proportion of which concerns 7-10 year olds) has increased by 6,000% in ten years in Europe alone. Murielle Thiebierge-Batude, cybersecurity consultant, founded the #IWAS association in April 2022 to rethink strategic approaches to the fight against pedocrime and cybercrime.
Why did you get involved in this fight against pedocrime?
Because I found myself in this situation: between the ages of 4 and 5, I was raped several times by a 35-year-old photographer, a friend of my neighbours. The latter served as his touts and delivered me to this person, especially during a weekend in the countryside where they were supposed to keep me. My parents were not aware of the fact that I was put in contact and at the disposal of this man on a regular basis. I only put the pieces of this traumatic experience back together at the end of 2017, after thirty-six years of amnesia. I filed a complaint, but the facts were time-barred.
My association focuses particularly on nipiocrime (from the Greek Nepios, which means “little child”), that is to say pedocrime on pre-verbal children, between birth and two years. This is why today I use my network, my skills, and I bring together expert and professional members. around this vital topic.
In your opinion, has society’s view of these crimes changed?
The advantage, with digital, is that it contributes to an awareness of the extent of the phenomenon. CSAMs [Child Abuse Sexual Material, soit des photos ou vidéos qui montrent un enfant sur lequel on commet un acte sexuel] abound on the Internet and the darknet. There are categories of videos: 0-2 years old, 3-5 years old, etc. It’s the same as an online store. These crimes now have a materiality, notably through the videos and photos of child rape that are exchanged on pedophile forums in cyberspace. These children exist, so they can no longer be ignored, and these contents constitute signed evidence.
What are the goals of #IWAS?
It is urgent to develop a genuine global system of defense for children. Our goal is to create a methodology and digital tools for all players (public authorities, companies, associations, police services, software publishers, etc.), and in cooperation with them, in order to prevent these upstream crimes, on the model of what exists in the fight against economic cybercrime or military cyberdefence.
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