Child Focus
Encyclopedia
Child Focus is the common name of the European Center for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children.
Their emergency telephone numbers are:
These numbers are available at all times.
The people at Child Focus provide psychological and legal support to the victims of these events (both the children and their parents). They also follow their cases and sometimes ensure they are treated with due care by the persons in charge. Finally, they help and spread the information about missing children by publishing their pictures and descriptions in newspaper
s, magazine
s, etc.
Since 1998, Child Focus has treated 3000 cases a year, and closed 70% of them within the year.
come from:
's initiative in June 1996, one year after the abduction of his daughter Julie and her friend Melissa by Marc Dutroux
.
Lejeune had learned about the existence of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
in Washington, D.C.
and went to visit it in order to study its structure. During the White March in Brussels
on October 20, 1996, he asked Prime Minister
Jean-Luc Dehaene
for help in creating a similar organization in Belgium
. Its honorary president is her Majesty Queen Paola.
On March 31, 1998, Child Focus was fully operational, and in July 1997, Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer
became the first Chairman of the organization.
Their emergency telephone numbers are:
- 116 000 toll-free, in BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
connects it to Child Focus, in some other EU-countries this number is routed to a local similar organisation. - +32 2 475 44 99 (worldwide)
These numbers are available at all times.
Activities
Child Focus is active in the prevention of the following matters:- Missing children
- Abduction of childrenChild abductionChild abduction or Child theft is the unauthorized removal of a minor from the custody of the child's natural or legally appointed guardians....
by a parent or stranger (child stealing or kidnappingKidnappingIn criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
) - Runaway children
- Sexually abused and exploited children
The people at Child Focus provide psychological and legal support to the victims of these events (both the children and their parents). They also follow their cases and sometimes ensure they are treated with due care by the persons in charge. Finally, they help and spread the information about missing children by publishing their pictures and descriptions in newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s, etc.
Since 1998, Child Focus has treated 3000 cases a year, and closed 70% of them within the year.
Funding
Child Focus' fundsFunding
Funding is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money , or other values such as effort or time , for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions...
come from:
- The Belgian state (50%)
- DonationDonationA donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
s from people and organizationOrganizationAn organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
s (50%)
History
Child Focus was created on Jean-Denis LejeuneJean-Denis Lejeune
Jean-Denis Lejeune is the father of Julie Lejeune, abducted along with Mélissa Russo in Belgium on June 24, 1995, and imprisoned in Marc Dutroux's cellar. She was 8 years old at the time. She died, probably of starvation, some time between December 6, 1995 and March 20, 1996...
's initiative in June 1996, one year after the abduction of his daughter Julie and her friend Melissa by Marc Dutroux
Marc Dutroux
Marc Dutroux is a Belgian serial killer and child molester, convicted of having kidnapped, tortured and sexually abused six girls during 1995 and 1996, ranging in age from 8 to 19, four of whom he murdered. He was also convicted of having killed a suspected former accomplice, Bernard Weinstein,...
.
Lejeune had learned about the existence of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and went to visit it in order to study its structure. During the White March in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on October 20, 1996, he asked Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Jean-Luc Dehaene
Jean-Luc Dehaene
-Early life and political career:He was born in Montpellier, France, when his parents were fleeing German troops. He got into politics through the Algemeen Christelijk Werknemersverbond , a trade union which was closely linked to the Christelijke Volkspartij .In 1981, he became Minister of Social...
for help in creating a similar organization in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Its honorary president is her Majesty Queen Paola.
On March 31, 1998, Child Focus was fully operational, and in July 1997, Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer
Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer
Daniel, Baron Cardon de Lichtbuer is a Belgian businessman, mainly active in the Belgian banking sector.- Education :He obtained a PhD degree in Law from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and a MBA degree from the Université Catholique de Louvain .- Career :Cardon started his career an assistant...
became the first Chairman of the organization.