The German cabinet approved a new law on Wednesday that criminalizes the publication and possession of guidelines related to committing sexual abuse crimes against children online. German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht introduced the bill, which stipulates a prison sentence of up to three years for those who publish these guidelines, and up to two years for those who possess or download them from the internet or closed chat groups.
The minister, a member of the Social Democratic Party, stated that the law aims to enable intervention before horrific abuse crimes occur, adding: "These disgusting instructions describe how criminals can ambush children and how to commit sexual abuse against them and cover it up."
The draft law noted that recent years have seen an increase in the number of sexual abuse crimes against children, and mentioned that guidelines on how to commit these crimes have been found among suspects in various cases.
The law is expected to be swiftly approved by the German parliament.
