HEUNI / The European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control

13/03/2026

Nuorten rikollisuus on monimuotoinen ilmiö. Vakava ja toistuva rikollisuus keskittyy hyvin pieneen joukkoon nuoria, joilla on usein merkittäviä kasautuneita riskitekijöitä. Usein nämä nuoret ovat olleet viranomaisten tiedossa jo kauan esimerkiksi lastensuojelu- tai perheväkivaltailmoitusten kautta. Vaikuttava kriminaalipolitiikka edellyttää täsmällistä ongelmanmäärittelyä, lapsen oikeuksien kunnioittamista ja oikea-aikaisia, kohdennettuja toimia.

Rangaistukset yksin eivät lisää yhteiskunnan turvallisuutta. Ne saattavat jossain tapauksissa pahentaa nuorten rikosaktiivista elämänpolkua – etenkin, jos rangaistuksia suunnataan laajasti ja etupäässä matalan rikosriskin nuoriin. Samalla on selvää, että myös rangaistuksilla ja pakkokeinoilla on paikkansa kaikkein vakavimman ja toistuvimman rikollisuuden torjunnassa.

04/03/2026

Ammattilaisille suunnattu materiaalipankki tukemaan työtä sukupuolistuneen väkivallan teemoissa, erityisesti maahan muuttaneiden naisten kanssa.

tarjoaa käytännön työkaluja, ohjeita ja koulutusmateriaaleja väkivallan tunnistamiseen, ehkäisyyn ja uhrilähtöiseen kohtaamiseen.

➡️ Ota materiaalit käyttöön työssäsi: http://heuni.education/tuva_materiaalipankki

14/01/2026

Child trafficking doesn’t always look like what we see in films.
In reality, the signs are subtle, especially in cross-border situations where children may be controlled through fear, manipulation, or misinformation.

SafeBorders project is working to improve early detection by:
📌developing tools that help professionals recognise vulnerability patterns;
📌creating shared protocols across 9 countries;
📌gathering evidence from the field to understand how traffickers adapt their tactics.

Better identification means earlier protection before exploitation occurs.

12/01/2026

[ENG] Child trafficking doesn’t always look like what we see in films.
In reality, the signs are subtle, especially in cross-border situations where children may be controlled through fear, manipulation, or misinformation.
SafeBorders is working to improve early detection by:
· developing tools that help professionals recognise vulnerability patterns;
· creating shared protocols across 9 countries;
· gathering evidence from the field to understand how traffickers adapt their tactics.
Better identification means earlier protection before exploitation occurs.


———
[PL] Handel dziećmi nie zawsze wygląda tak, jak pokazują to filmy.
W rzeczywistości oznaki są subtelne, zwłaszcza w sytuacjach transgranicznych, gdzie dzieci mogą być kontrolowane poprzez strach, manipulację lub dezinformację.
SafeBorders pracuje nad poprawą wczesnego wykrywania poprzez:
· opracowywanie narzędzi, które pomagają profesjonalistom rozpoznawać wzorce podatności;
· tworzenie wspólnych protokołów w 9 krajach;
· gromadzenie dowodów z terenu, aby zrozumieć, w jaki sposób handlarze dostosowują swoje taktyki.
Lepsza identyfikacja oznacza wcześniejszą ochronę przed eksploatacją.

12/01/2026

Huijausten tekotavat ovat muuttuneet, m***a ihmisten tunteet eivät Romanssihuijausilmiö on muuttanut muotoaan nopeasti, m***a toisaalta rikolliset painelevat edelleen samoja nappuloita kuin sata vuotta sitten. ”Meillä on edelleen luolamiehen aivot, ja samanlaiset manipuloinnin keinot toimivat k...

27/12/2025

As the year comes to an end, Finland observes , the Declaration of Christmas Peace. It is a moment that emphasises calm, consideration and the responsibility we hold toward one another. Adults and institutions play in creating environments where children can feel safe, during the holidays and in everyday life.

In the project, it invites us to think about children who do not experience stability at this time of year, including those who move across borders, who have been separated from caregivers, or who are targeted by traffickers.

Our partners across 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇹 Italy 🇵🇱 Poland 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇮 Finland and Western Balkans continue working to make protection more accessible and actionable for children at risk.

Our efforts focus on:
✨ improving the chances that a child is recognised when they need support
✨ ensuring professionals have the tools and confidence to act
✨ developing analytical tools that help identify those who exploit children
✨ supporting cooperation between countries so no child is overlooked
✨ engaging communities to strengthen understanding and awareness

December brings many traditions, but for children experiencing exploitation, the calendar does not change their situation.

10/12/2025

December 10th marks Human Rights Day, established to recognise the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On Human Rights Day, we focus on a core element of the -funded project: every child has the right to safety and protection, no matter where they are or how they move across borders.

Through the SafeBorders project, partners from nine countries 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇧🇬 Bulgaria, 🇷🇴 Romania, 🇵🇹 Portugal, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇫🇮 Finland and the Western Balkans
are working together to strengthen how Europe prevents child trafficking, identifies risks earlier and protects vulnerable children more effectively.

Across these countries, the project advances work to strengthen responses to child trafficking through:
🔸Interviews and focus groups with judicial actors, frontline responders and community-based organisations to understand gaps and develop practical guidelines for prevention, identification, protection and prosecution.
🔸 Training 495 professionals, including judges, prosecutors and frontline workers, to better recognise trafficking indicators and apply child-sensitive approaches.
🔸 Creating an AI-powered platform to help identify trafficking patterns and support evidence-based decision-making in a GDPR-compliant way.
🔸 Conducting community workshops and an EU-wide outreach campaign aimed at improving safeguarding knowledge among both professionals and the public.

Child trafficking is a human rights violation and there is a need for stronger systems, stronger cooperation and stronger protection for children at risk.

📍 Themistocles and Dimitris Tsatsos Foundation - Centre for European Constitutional Law (Greece – Coordinator)
📍 Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης & Ασύλου - Greek Ministry of Migration & Asylum
📍 CESIE ETS (Italy)
📍 Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) (Bulgaria)
📍 Missing Children Europe (Belgium)
📍 ADPARE – Association for the Development of Alternative Reintegration and Education Practices (Romania)
📍 Vela.ngo (Poland)
📍 IPS_Innovative Prison Systems | ICJS Innovative Criminal Justice Solutions (Portugal)
📍 Saúde em Português (Portugal)
📍 HEUNI – European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control (Finland)

Learn more about the project: https://heuni.fi/-/safeborders

21/11/2025

Technology is reshaping our world. And, unfortunately, reshaping how harm is done. From online child sexual exploitation to AI-enabled human trafficking, digital tools are now central to both offending and our collective response.

Want to understand how technology is used to facilitate child sexual exploitation?

Our joint webinar with Australian Institute of Criminology started unpacking the issue from multiple angles:
• Samantha Lyneham on the landscape of online CSE
• Michael Cahill on exploitation through dating apps and websites
• Dr Timothy Cubitt on digital tools used by offenders
• Finnish insights from Detective Chief Inspector Maria Hietajärvi

🎥 Watch the full recording here: https://youtu.be/ZiczPHI5sc4?si=iiEs51pf7N6SqcmH

But the conversation doesn’t stop at understanding the problem.
Criminal networks are also adopting AI and digital platforms at speed: creating synthetic identities, targeting vulnerable communities, and masking cross-border operations. As these methods evolve, so must our responses.

🔍 This is exactly where the project steps in.

We’re working to strengthen Europe’s ability to prevent and investigate trafficking by combining three key elements:
✅ Capacity building for judges and frontline professionals
✅ Cross-border cooperation among justice and law enforcement actors
✅ AI-powered technology to detect patterns and disrupt criminal networks

Learn about the experiences of underage users, the risk factors involved, and how online platforms enable perpetrators to exploit technology a...

20/11/2025

World Children’s Day: A reminder to protect every child

Human trafficking continues to affect children across Europe and worldwide. Responding to this harm requires coordination, evidence-based action and strong cross-border cooperation.

Child trafficking in numbers
📌 In 2023, children made up 13% of all registered trafficking victims in the EU (Eurostat).
📌 Globally, one in three detected victims is a child (UNODC).
📌 In Europe, around every fifth victim is a child.
The real scale is far higher than what is detected.

How the Project helps?
📌 Strengthening capacity of judicial authorities.
📌 Developing an AI-supported platform for cooperation.
📌 Improving information sharing to protect children across borders.

Participating countries:
Greece, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Portugal, Belgium, Finland and the Western Balkans.

11/11/2025

Pakottava kontrolli on pitkäkestoista henkistä väkivaltaa.

Se voi näkyä monin tavoin: uhrin eristämisenä, uhkailuna, pukeutumisen tai käyttäytymisen rajoittamisena, rahankäytön kontrollointina ja lopulta koko elämän kaventumisena. Myös fyysisellä ja seksuaaliväkivallalla uhkailu voivat olla kontrollin keinoja. Pakottava kontrolli on yksi sukupuolistuneen väkivallan muoto ja se voi toteutua lukuisissa eri suhteissa ja yhteisöissä. Tekijöitä voi olla yksi tai useampia.

Seuraukset uhrin henkiselle, seksuaaliselle ja fyysiselle terveydelle ovat vakavat. Teot ovat omiaan aiheuttamaan uhrissa pelkoa ja voimakasta ahdistusta. Uhrin todellisuuden taju saattaa hämärtyä.

Silti Suomen lainsäädäntö ei edelleenkään tunnista pakottavan kontrollin prosessimaista, usein vuosia jatkuvaa luonnetta.

👉 Pakottava kontrolli on säädettävä rangaistavaksi omana rikosnimikkeenään.

Laadimme yhdessä Amnestyn Suomen osaston ja Ihmisoikeusliiton kanssa suositukset pakottavan kontrollin kriminalisointiin.

Lue lisää pakottavasta kontrollista ja tutustu suosituksiin: https://monikanaiset.fi/uutiset/pakottava-kontrolli-on-kriminalisoitava/

11/11/2025