Activists and social media pages have stirred significant outrage in Tunisia regarding the sexual exploitation and online blackmail of several children. The Ministry of Family, Women, Childhood, and the Elderly in Tunisia announced that the relevant judicial and security authorities have begun an investigation into suspicions that an unidentified adult was luring minors online, deceiving, blackmailing, and threatening them. One popular Instagram page named el_madame published testimonies from several families whose children have been subjected to sexual exploitation and threats by an unknown individual. The page also shared a photo of the suspect that was obtained from the sister of one of the child victims.
Human rights activist Magdi Karabali, speaking via Mosaic FM radio, stated that in cooperation with several specialized organizations and activists internationally, a case will be filed in Italy, where the suspect resides, and efforts are currently underway to accurately determine his identity. He noted that this case could help uncover a network of sexual deviants both in Tunisia and Italy or other European countries.
Anis Aoun Allah, a child protection representative in Tunisia, mentioned in a phone call to Mosaic FM that so far, no families have reported incidents of online sexual blackmail to child protection representatives. He explained that investigations are currently in the phase of identifying the victims and urged families to report incidents to aid in advancing the investigations and protecting children.
For its part, the Ministry of Family, Women, Childhood, and the Elderly emphasized "the importance of caring for children and ensuring their psychological and physical safety, establishing a culture of dialogue within families and society that helps build trust and shields youth from all risks and potential threats, and framing their prudent use of the internet while protecting them from risks and threats in digital and cyber spaces." The ministry's statement stressed that Tunisia "provides a legal, social, and institutional system safeguarding children's rights, deterring any source of threat to their best interests."
