Time to "Say NO" to child sex tourism

7.55.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 26th Jun 2008

Every year thousands of European tourists travel to countries in Southeast Asia, South America and Africa with the specific intent of having sex with children. The chance that offenders get caught is almost zero.

European Liberal and Democrat members of the European Parliament have today launched an online petition www.sayno.eu to fight this shocking abuse of children through prostitution. The petition pleads for more powers for the European police agency Europol to fight sexual exploitation of children by Europeans travelling abroad.

The initiative is co-sponsored by London MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford, the Liberal Democrats' European justice and human rights spokeswoman:

"We aim to collect a million signatures from people who say no to child prostitution. This must stop. We have the power to end this shocking exploitation and put the offenders behind bars if we have the will."