On the recruitment of children by organised crime
B-10-2026-0276
on behalf of the PfE Group · Rapporteur: Matthieu Valet, Anna Maria Cisint, Fabrice Leggeri
- Voted on · Adopted 0–0–0 · See the decision →
- Full procedure 2026/2725
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Parliament condemns the recruitment of children by organised crime and terrorism, calling for comprehensive responses combining prevention, security, justice and child protection.¶ It urges Member States to treat such recruitment as an aggravating circumstance, to punish adult recruiters severely, and to consider sanctions for parents who tolerate or profit from minors' crimes.¶¶¶ It calls for stronger measures on juvenile justice, compensation for victims, digital platform action, and international cooperation.¶¶¶
Key points
- Condemns the recruitment, radicalisation and exploitation of children by organised criminal and terrorist groups as a serious crime and security threat.¶
- Considers recruitment or use of minors for criminal or terrorist purposes an aggravating circumstance in criminal proceedings.¶
- Encourages Member States to assess whether legal frameworks address adults recruiting minors for offences like drug trafficking, weapons, violence, extortion, sexual exploitation, cybercrime or terrorism.¶
- Stresses that minors may be victims but this does not automatically exclude criminal responsibility for serious, violent or repeated offences.¶
- Welcomes discussions on juvenile justice reforms, including swift sanctions, age thresholds for minors aged 16 and above, and review of mitigating provisions based solely on minority.¶¶¶
- Calls for strengthening confiscation rules where families or third parties benefited from crimes by minors, and for consequences for parents failing court-ordered obligations.¶¶
- Urges prioritising identification, prosecution and severe punishment of adult recruiters, handlers, family members, gang leaders and intermediaries.¶
- Calls for sanctions on parents or guardians who knowingly tolerate, facilitate or profit from repeated criminal activity of minors, including review of benefits or work permits.¶
- Calls for stronger mechanisms for offenders and civilly responsible adults to compensate victims, with victims at the centre of the response.¶
- Calls on Member States to strengthen use of detention, closed educational facilities, electronic monitoring and strict judicial supervision for minors in serious or repeated offences.¶
- Calls on Europol to strengthen work on recruitment of minors, including digital platforms and cross-border gang structures.¶
- Calls for stronger action by digital platforms against recruitment content and glamorisation of gang culture, and for stronger international cooperation.¶¶
Who is affected
- Minors recruited by organised crime, especially unaccompanied minors from non-EU countries.¶
- Adult recruiters, handlers, family members, gang leaders and intermediaries who use minors as criminal tools.¶
- Parents or legal guardians who tolerate, facilitate or profit from criminal activities of minors.¶
- Digital platforms that host content recruiting minors into criminal activity.¶