As part of the national awareness campaign “Digital Safety for Every Child!”, the Digital Safety Center, in partnership with the General Police Inspectorate, launched today the information initiative “SafeOnline with the Police.” Under this operation, teams from the National Public Security Inspectorate (INSP) stop drivers in traffic to provide messages of responsibility and useful resources on how to protect children in the digital space. Drivers receive informational leaflets for parents, bookmarks, and car air fresheners with key messages about children’s online safety, ranging from responsible internet use to reporting abusive content. The goal of the initiative is to raise awareness among parents, grandparents, and caregivers about the risks of the digital world and to remind them of their role in guiding children toward safe and responsible online behavior. The national campaign “Digital Safety for Every Child!” is organized by the International Center “La Strada” through the Digital Safety Center, in partnership with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Ministry of Education and Research, Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Health, the General Police Inspectorate, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with support from the Global Partnership Fund to Stop Violence Against Children – Safe Online. The campaign aims to promote the only specialized service in the Republic of Moldova dedicated to managing digital risks for children and youth – www.siguronline.md – as well as the free telephone assistance service for children 116 111 (www.telefonulcopilului.md). According to data from the Digital Safety Center, in the first half of 2025 alone, there were: 237 reports on the platform www.siguronline.md regarding various online challenges faced by children; 1,246 reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) hosted on servers in the country; and 2,105 illegal materials removed in partnership with the police and service providers, of which one in three involved severe content depicting children under 13. Among the most alarming trends are the rise of cyberbullying, the decreasing age of children involved in abusive materials, the sharing of intimate images for defamation, and parents’ lack of awareness about setting healthy boundaries for technology use. The “Digital Safety for Every Child!” campaign runs from September to November 2025 and includes activities in schools, public awareness spots, training sessions for parents and professionals, and distribution of educational materials in bookstores, youth-friendly centers, and healthcare institutions. Through these initiatives, partners aim to strengthen a culture of digital safety among children, parents, and professionals, contributing to a safer and more responsible online society.

125 child protection professionals and community social workers – members of multidisciplinary teams from across the country – have strengthened their professional competencies in the multidisciplinary approach to cases of online sexual abuse of children. The training sessions took place during October and November of this year, within five dedicated workshops, bringing together members of local and district multidisciplinary teams from all regions of the country. Participants enhanced their capacities through updated knowledge, practical tools, and concrete examples of intervention in cases of online sexual abuse. Throughout the sessions, participants explored the various forms of online sexual violence affecting children, analyzed the necessary steps for an effective intervention, and reaffirmed the importance of inter-institutional cooperation. Trainers emphasized the practical aspects of intervention, provided space for reflection and exchange of best practices among team members, and focused on developing a coordinated, prompt, and empathetic response to support child victims of online sexual abuse—thus contributing to their real and sustainable protection. At the opening of the training, Anastasia Gruzin, Deputy Head of the Child and Family Rights Protection Policy Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, highlighted the importance of inter-institutional collaboration and the need for a prompt and empathetic response to support children who are victims of online abuse. She also commended the initiative of the International Center “La Strada” for organizing such workshops. In turn, Veronica Maevschi, Director of the Children’s Program of the International Center “La Strada,” noted that the organizers aimed to contribute to the development of a coherent and sustainable multidisciplinary response to ensure the real protection and recovery of children following traumatic experiences. “1 in 2 children are involved in sharing sexually explicit images in online communication. 2 in 7 children are threatened with intimate images by someone online. 1 in 5 children do not know how to react in a situation of online violence. 1 in 10 children are exposed to online harassment. 1 in 3 children have had their reputation compromised through sexualized images. In 100% of reported cases of online sexual abuse, the victims are girls—50% of them aged 16–18. Boys aged 13–15 are more vulnerable to sexual abuse occurring in online games,” said Veronica Maevschi. According to her, since the beginning of its work, the Child Assistance Team of the International Center “La Strada” has provided support in 907 cases of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. Over the five training days, participants, guided by field experts, addressed key topics such as: Understanding the phenomenon of online sexual abuse of children and its various forms; The intervention of multidisciplinary teams and the specifics of inter-institutional collaboration; The legal framework and the role of the police in investigating online sexual abuse cases; The specific needs of child victims and measures for psychological and social support; Practical procedures for intervention and case management. Participants also had the opportunity to analyze real-life situations, discuss challenges encountered in their work, and share good practices for an effective and coordinated response. The practical component of the workshops—encouraging experience sharing and peer learning—was highly appreciated by attendees. At the end of the sessions, participants described the training as a valuable experience that helped clarify the roles of each institution in the intervention process and improved communication among professionals. “Cases of online sexual abuse are becoming increasingly complex and require a coordinated response. During the workshop, we gained a better understanding of how to collaborate effectively with the police, schools, and social services to protect the child without causing further trauma” said one of the social workers. Many participants emphasized that the training helped them better understand the emotional impact of online abuse on children and the importance of early and empathetic intervention. Five similar workshops had already been held in May of this year. In total, 250 professionals have now been trained in managing cases of online sexual abuse of children. The sessions were organized by the International Center “La Strada Moldova”, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova, with the support of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children – Safe Online initiative.

I’m tired. So very tired. It’s not the first time I’ve felt like there’s no place in this world for me. I know that thought isn’t fair, but it’s always there — especially when I think back to those years that were stolen from me, piece by piece. This October cold reminds me of those nights when the wolves came for the sheep. I don’t even know why I always make that comparison — it’s just how I felt. I was the sheep. They were the wolves. Only, unlike the sheep, I didn’t have a shepherd to protect me. I was alone. Completely alone. Now I’m here, wrapped in a blanket, sitting in a warm, quiet room. But inside me, it still rains. It doesn’t go away, no matter how hard I try. And it hurts — differently now, but it still hurts. I never thought I’d be able to talk about it. Every time I close my eyes, I go back there — to that place, in the cold, left alone, my screams vanishing into the night. He had hurt me before, but back then I was too young to understand. He knew I had no one. My mother worked wherever she could, and exhaustion — and the drinking — made her forget she even had a child. My father was gone. He took advantage of that, again and again. He beat me until I could barely move. I was just a body that breathed. He’d snap over nothing, turn into a monster the moment he saw me. I still remember the numbness, the metallic taste of blood… and the moment he dragged me toward the car. He took me to a remote sheepfold. And there, he and others like him did unspeakable things to me. They didn’t let me die — that was the only mercy. For two weeks, I lived through hell — forced to work by day and endure unimaginable pain by night. I didn’t know if I’d live to see the next morning. I learned only to survive — and to stay silent. Somehow, I escaped. I don’t even know how. If I had stayed one more night, I don’t think I’d be alive today. But he found me again, later. And once more, the torment started — this time with others, laughing, humiliating, destroying what was left of me.I know what hell looks like. Sometimes it lives inside people who prey on your weakness. I felt it on my skin. But I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I’m tired of telling that story. I want to tell mine. Because now, I’m okay. Someone heard what happened to me. Someone cared. You see, my mother’s drinking cost her the right to be my guardian. A stranger — a woman with kind eyes — told the police about me. I think God sent her. She said she was part of an “assistance team.” [1]. I didn’t know what that meant, but she and her colleague were the first people who showed me that the world still had gentle hearts. They took me to a safe place. I cried when I saw it — quiet, warm, clean. At first, the silence scared me. It was too foreign. They offered me tea, asked me questions, told me I could speak freely. And as I spoke, it felt like the air itself was tearing apart from the weight of my words. During the hearing, I told everything. Every word felt like being torn open. But I knew I had to speak — for justice, and for myself. The process was long and painful, but those women — my psychologist and my lawyer, I later learned — stayed by my side. They helped me heal, piece by piece. Eventually, I was moved to a special center, a safe home. The women there helped me rebuild myself, to trust again, to believe I deserved peace. I thank God every day for them. At the Center, I’ve learned new things, rediscovered myself, and found kindness again. I took a makeup course, and now I’m planning to go to vocational school to become a chef. The staff believe in me — and slowly, I’ve started to believe it too. I’ve started to believe that I am more than what was done to me. A few months ago, in March, justice was served. The three men who destroyed my childhood were sentenced to long prison terms — one for 19 years, the others for 25. It doesn’t erase what happened, but at least I know they can’t hurt anyone else. My name is Mihaela. This is my story of resilience. If you’ve read this far, please consider supporting the Assistance Team that helped me — and continues to help other children like me find justice and safety. Your contribution will help the psychologist who still visits me, helping me grow into an adult who lives without fear, in safety, with confidence, and hope. Note: This story is based on real events. [1] The Child Assistance Team (EAC) operates within the International Center “La Strada.”

Unlike other days, that Tuesday morning seemed quieter. The counselors’ shift had just changed, and the office had come alive with that familiar energy — of care, composure, and attentiveness — that fills every corner of the small space of the Women’s and Girls’ Trust Line. A call from that morning was about to leave a deep mark on us and stay with us for a long time. On the other end of the line was M.’s father, desperate, searching for justice for his daughter. “Nobody does anything. Please, help us,” he told us, his voice trembling. M. was his only daughter. Young, with big dreams — dreams that were shattered that morning. She had just regained consciousness. Not on the night of the rape, when fragments of the events had slipped from memory, but in the morning, when the cruel reality revealed itself in all its pain, and a profound numbness took over her body, as if time had stopped and her world had ceased to exist. That same day, she was hospitalized, where doctors intervened on her uterus and gynecological area, trying to ease her physical pain. We found her at the hospital. She was very weak. In our first conversation, M. could partially recount what had happened to her. She felt a deep shame in recalling that night which had completely changed her life. With the support of our lawyer and psychologist, we stood by her. In that state of helplessness and weakness, lying in her hospital bed, she still couldn’t argue or resist, but she felt — perhaps for the first time — that she was not alone. Right there, in the hospital ward, on that same day, the first legal hearings took place in the presence of specialists. Afterward, M. continued her rehabilitation, while we worked in offices to defend her interests and seek justice for her. What followed was a time full of trials, with difficult days and nights where fear and shame seemed endless — but also with moments when courage began to sprout. The lawyer stood by her at every step — at the police station, during hearings, in court sessions — driven by the will to defend her rights and to assure her that justice exists. The psychologist walked the same path, guiding her through her family’s resistance and her own fears, helping her to regain confidence and rebuild the fragments of broken relationships. Along the way, hidden vulnerabilities surfaced, making her feel even more ashamed and silent. And as every journey is filled with challenges, the greatest one in this story was for her to believe that her family could accept her, in a small community where everyone already knew the horror of that night. The challenges, however, kept coming. On one hand, she was the daughter of two teachers, raised in an educated, respectful family; on the other, the perpetrators came from influential backgrounds — people with authority, capable of shaping decisions and altering important processes. As the obstacles that seemed insurmountable grew, so did the strength of our team’s actions. Our support continued until the sentence was pronounced, when the court convicted all the perpetrators who had taken part in her ordeal. Some time after assisting M. and her father, another young woman came to our attention: A., who, like M., had been the victim of rape — this time by someone she trusted. A. had thought more than once about ending her life; she no longer had the strength to be strong for herself. When asked what had made her speak out loud about what she was going through, A. told us that after the rape, she had discovered on social media the account of another young woman who knew, from her own experience, what rape, shame, and blame felt like. She had received all the encouragement she needed. Sometimes, our role goes beyond the label of “protocol specialists.” We become that invisible shoulder that gives strength to a heart to keep going. If you are a victim of abuse or know someone who is, call the Women’s and Girls’ Trust Line – 0 8008 8008. Help is always near, free, and confidential.