Romania Hosts Launch of Groundbreaking Mental Health Project for Professionals Fighting Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

PRESS RELEASE

Bucharest, June 16, 2025

The Association for Victims of Sexual Crimes (VIS), in partnership with the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), with the support of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) and the expertise of the Institute for Trauma Study and Treatment (ISTT), announces the launch of MindShield Project: Enhancing Mental Health and Resilience for Romania’s Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Professionals.

MindShield is the first initiative of its kind in Romania, and among the few globally, to directly address the mental health challenges faced by professionals investigating child sexual abuse and exploitation online (OCSEA). Funded by Safe Online, a global initiative tackling digital risks to children, the project will run from June 2025 to May 2027, building systems of psychological support and resilience for law enforcement and child protection professionals.

Global Context

Worldwide, OCSEA’s increase is alarming, with National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTips rising from 16,987,361 in 2019 to 36,210,368 in 2023, marking a 113% increase over these years. This highlights children’s growing vulnerability online and reveals the urgent need for effective specialized support systems for law enforcement (LE) officers tasked with handling these complex, traumatic, and demanding cases.

„Victims cannot be protected by exhausted professionals experiencing burnout, barely making it through the workday. When those tasked with investigating the most severe forms of violence are themselves suffering in silence, the system becomes dysfunctional. Research and intervention on the wellbeing of professionals working with child trauma are not isolated acts of compassion, but strategic investments in victim protection. Professionals who have access to meaningful psychological support, adequate resources, and an organizational culture that acknowledges their efforts will act with greater empathy, clarity, and effectiveness“, affirms Mihaela Chiper, President of The Association for Victims of Sexual Crimes (VIS).

„For 25 years, ICMEC has worked hand in hand with professionals on the front lines of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. With MindShield, we are now shifting the focus toward supporting them by building a network of care and resilience, one we hope will resonate globally“, declares Pilar Ramirez, Vice President for National Capacity Building, International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC).

Studies have shown that crimes involving child victims can profoundly impact investigators. Repeated exposure to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) can lead to secondary traumatic stress, including intrusive images, nightmares, social withdrawal, as well as mistrust of others, overprotection of children, and difficulties in personal relationships.

Romanian Context

In Romania, the number of NCMEC CyberTips surged from 33,000 in 2021 to 133,000 in 2023, a 303% increase in just two years. 

„In 2024, DIICOT continued its firm fight against organized crime through large-scale operations such as D-Day, reflecting an increasingly complex reality: the interconnection between human trafficking, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and child sexual abuse material. We are deeply concerned by the involvement of children, both as victims and as perpetrators, in serious offenses. In 2025, we are focusing on the professionalization of investigations, tackling the phenomenon of online grooming, developing a clear methodology for investigating child sexual abuse material, and strengthening international cooperation. Our objectives remain: dismantling criminal networks and effectively protecting the most vulnerable, children“, states Alina Albu, Chief Prosecutor of The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).

„Children, in order to be cared for, protected, and supported in recovering from critical events, need healthy and well-trained adults, regardless of the roles those adults hold. This is why professionals involved in investigating online sexual abuse require strong mental health support. They face numerous and complex challenges, which is why fostering their resilience is a key strategic goal in their training and professional development. Supporting their resilience not only enhances their professional effectiveness but also forms the foundation for an organizational and social climate built on healthy relationships. This, in turn, minimizes the risk of re-traumatizing victims, prevents burnout among professionals, and reduces the spread of insecurity within society as a whole“, testifies Diana Vasile, PhD, psychotherapist, president & co-founder of the Institute for Trauma Study and Treatment (ISTT).

In Romania, the stigma associated with seeking counseling is reflected in the presence of inadequately trained psychologists within the available psychological services. This poses a risk of re-victimizing abused children and leaves professionals dealing with OCSEA vulnerable to facing their psychological challenges in isolation.

In conclusion, MindShield project is built on a vision of enhancing partnership between investigators on a horizontal level, but also on providing incentives vertically by showing to institutional hierarchies the benefits of taking mental health seriously for the quality and quantity of the work provided by specialists.

The goal is to develop a community where investigators feel confident relying on each other, where the stigma around mental health is reduced, and where properly trained mental health professionals are available.

We know that changing an organizational culture takes time, so MindShield also aims to provide short and medium-term solutions for mental health support, such as anonymized resources and daily tips for coping at work.

If you want to talk about sexual violence with a professional ready to help, send an email to: help@asistentavictime.ro