Innocence en Danger

I write to you today not only as the founder of Innocence in Danger but also as someone who has witnessed firsthand the devastating and lifelong impact of childhood sexual abuse. This crisis has grown exponentially with the rise of social networks and the exploitation of digital platforms.

Twenty-six years ago, when I first began speaking about the urgent need to protect children from sexual abuse, I was met with silence. Society was not ready to hear these words. The discomfort was palpable; the denial, overwhelming. So I started this fight truly alone, driven by the conviction that children's safety cannot wait for the world to become comfortable with uncomfortable truths.

In 1999, I was appointed by the Director General of UNESCO to lead the global action plan for the defense and protection of children against all forms of violence and abuse. This program was established following the dismantling of an international child exploitation network on the Internet: "Operation Cathedral." After a year of fruitful work, I recognized that UNESCO had reached its limits in acting on the ground—meeting with victims, going to court, and accompanying them in their reconstruction could not be included. After several attempts to collaborate with major child protection organizations, I decided to continue independently, founding Innocence in Danger as a non-profit first in France, then expanding to Germany, Switzerland, Colombia, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

The Staggering Scale and Hidden Costs

The number of sexually abused minors worldwide is staggering. Millions of children fall victim to sexual abuse each year—in their homes, in their communities, and increasingly, on social networks where predators operate with alarming sophistication. The psychological, physical, and emotional devastation these crimes inflict during the most formative years of childhood creates ripples that extend across entire lifetimes: trauma, broken trust, shattered self-worth, and cycles of abuse that perpetuate through generations.

Ignoring these children or failing to provide them with access to justice and therapies is not only morally wrong—it is economically devastating. The societal costs of untreated childhood trauma are immense: increased healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, substance abuse, incarceration, intergenerational welfare dependency, and perpetuation of violence. Study after study demonstrates that investing in comprehensive support for child victims costs far less than managing the long-term consequences of their untreated trauma.

This is precisely what we do at Innocence in Danger: we help traumatized children become responsible and resilient adults.

Yet despite the staggering scale of this crisis, its profound impact on society, and the proven economic logic of intervention, finding sponsors for this cause remains extraordinarily challenging. While other worthy causes attract generous funding, child sexual abuse remains shrouded in stigma and silence. Donors hesitate. Corporations turn away. The very discomfort that prevented people from listening twenty-six years ago continues to stop the flow of resources needed to protect our most vulnerable.

Alignment with the UN Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals

Our work is in perfect alignment with the UN Agenda 2030 and its commitment to end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and among countries; to build peaceful, just, and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of the planet.

Specifically, our mission directly advances multiple Sustainable Development Goals:

* SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): We provide access to justice for child victims and combat one of the most heinous violations of human rights

* SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The majority of child sexual abuse victims are girls; our work protects and empowers them

* SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): We provide essential mental health support and therapeutic interventions

* SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): We ensure that lack of financial means does not deny any child access to justice or therapy

* SDG 1 (No Poverty): Untreated childhood trauma perpetuates cycles of poverty; our interventions break these cycles

Yet I must speak plainly: whoever claims to be respectful of the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals but does not actively support the protection and safety of our children lacks both vision and truthfulness to these fundamental commitments. These goals demand concrete action, sustained investment, and unwavering commitment to the most vulnerable among us.

We cannot build peaceful and inclusive societies while turning away from sexually abused children. We cannot protect human rights while denying child victims access to justice. We cannot combat inequality while allowing only privileged children access to therapy and legal support. We cannot promote gender equality while ignoring that the vast majority of child sexual abuse victims are girls.

Supporting the rehabilitation and protection of sexually abused children is essential for those who claim allegiance to Agenda 2030.

Our Mission and Proven Impact

Innocence in Danger's action is based on two fundamental objectives that support child victims of sexual violence and their protective parents, from the disclosure of facts to compensation: • So that no child is denied access to justice for lack of means • So that no child is denied access to therapy for lack of means.

We accomplish this through:

1. Comprehensive Legal Support Our legal hotline, available seven days a week, provides critical assistance, including legal advice, case examination, identification of victims, assessment of potential legal action, and referral to specialized lawyers. We receive and follow up on an average of 400 legal requests annually. Our team of jurists and lawyers, specialized in this field, ensures that every child has access to justice, including the ability to institute civil action and to join as a civil party.

For example, on December 1, 2023, a 43-year-old father of two was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Gironde Assize Court for contributing to and managing child pornography websites and raping his two daughters. Innocence in Danger was a civil party and supported the victims. In 2023 alone, we acted as a plaintiff seeking damages in three major cybercrime cases, the perpetrators of which are now in prison.

2. Holistic Therapeutic Support Since 2002, our 8- to 10-day resilience programs have been helping children regain their self-confidence through equine and art therapy and expert psychotherapeutic support. A team of therapists accompanies the children throughout the legal proceedings and provides tailored therapies. Since our creation, we have welcomed over 5,000 child victims of sexual assault to our healing retreats.

From 2010 to 2013, a rigorous scientific study was conducted at the University of Koblenz, Germany, which measured in depth the positive impact of Innocence in Danger's resilience programs and attested to their therapeutic benefits.

3. Court Follow-up and Long-term Resilience We follow up on cases with the courts to strengthen the resilience of child victims and enable them to build and develop their potential beyond their traumas—transforming them from victims into responsible, resilient adults who contribute positively to society.

4. Cutting-edge Research and Digital Justice We collaborate with scientists and biogeneticists on cutting-edge studies designed to promote preventive medicine and make significant improvements to legal proceedings. We conduct impact studies on the consequences of childhood sexual abuse and best practices for optimal results.

Innocence in Danger offers "digital justice" to millions of children whose images have been posted on the Internet—a form of revictimization that continues long after the initial abuse.

5. Prevention Through Education We inform, educate, and raise awareness about sexual violence to prevent future victimization.

Why Your Partnership Matters

Innocence in Danger offers a second childhood to thousands of survivors of sex crimes. Our actions are holistic and multidisciplinary, from disclosure to rehabilitation. We transform the trajectory of young lives, preventing the cascade of social costs that untreated trauma inevitably produces. We do this work in direct fulfillment of the commitments that the international community has made through the UN Agenda 2030.

Legal support for victims is a crucial element in their resilience process, yet it is precisely this comprehensive, ground-level work that struggles most to secure funding.

I am reaching out to you because I believe [Foundation/Organization Name] understands that authentic leadership means standing where others hesitate. It means funding the fights that desperately need fighting, even—especially—when they make us uncomfortable. It means recognizing that investing in these children is not only the right thing to do—it is the smart thing to do. And it means demonstrating genuine commitment to the principles of Agenda 2030 through concrete action, not merely words.

The children we serve have already shown immense courage in surviving what no child should ever endure. Now they need us to show courage too: the courage to fund their protection, their healing, and their hope for a productive future.

Together, we can make Agenda 2030's promise of peaceful, just, and inclusive societies a reality—not just an aspiration.

With deep respect and urgent hope,