LilVictims

On February 25, 2026, the Swiss Federal Council, the country’s government, decided that the explicit codification of the obligation to raise children without violence should take effect on July 1, 2026. The Swiss Parliament had adopted the amendment to the Swiss Civil Code (Zivilgesetzbuch, ZGB) on September 26, 2025.The amendment states that parents must raise their children without using violence, particularly without using corporal punishment and other forms of degrading treatment. The Swiss cantons (states) must ensure that parents and children have access to counseling, either together or alone, if difficulties arise during child-rearing. (ZGB, new art. 302, paras. 1, 4.)BackgroundIn 1997, Switzerland ratified the U.N....

On July 21, 2025, the Social Media (Age Restriction for Users) Bill 2025, which  seeks to “ban children under 16 years of age from creating or using social media accounts,” was introduced in the Senate, Pakistan’s upper chamber of Parliament, by Senators Sarmad Ali and Syed Masroor Ahsan. However, on August 18, the bill was withdrawn by both senators “following strong objections from key stakeholders.” The senators said a revised version with “significant changes” will be introduced after consultations.The Senators emphasized that the purpose of the proposed law is “digital child protection” with the aim of “safeguarding minors from online exploitation, cyberbullying, and harmful content” and “promoting digital awareness among parents and children....

On May 30, 2025, Pakistan enacted the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025, legislation aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating child marriage, after receiving assent from President Asif Ali Zardari.According to the bill’s statement of objects and reasons (p. 5), the bill was “introduced with the object to curb, discourage and eventually eradicate the concept and phenomenon of Child marriages which are highly prevalent in Pakistan,” which “are in complete violation of the rights of children and international obligations.” The statement highlights that “Goal 5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals focuses on gender equality and includes a specific target to eliminate child marriage by 2030.”The bill only applies to the federal Islamabad Capital Territory....

On December 22, 2023, Zambia enacted an amendment (amendment act) to the 1918 Marriage Act that raised the minimum marriageable age to 18 for all marriages, including those concluded under customary law. The amendment act adopts the Zambian Constitution’s definition of the term “child” as “a person who has attained, or is below, the age of eighteen years.” (Amendment Act § 2.) The act repealed section 33 of the Marriage Act, which permitted marriage of children, including children under the age of 15, and replaced it with language that renders any marriage void if one or both parties to it is a child. (§ 3.) Significantly, it extended this restriction to marriages concluded under customary rites, which before its enactment did not impose a marriageable age limit....

A database of teachers who lost their license for committing obscene acts against children began operating in Japan on April 1, 2023. The Act on the Prevention of Sexual Violence by Educational Personnel (Act No. 57 of 2021), which took effect on April 1, 2022, obligated the national government to establish the new database. (Act on the Prevention of Sexual Violence by Educational Personnel art. 15.)Background to the Establishment of the New DatabaseThe occurrence of obscene acts and sexual harassment by teachers in Japan has recently been gaining more recognition and scrutiny in the country. In 2018, the number of teachers of public schools who were disciplined due to obscene acts was 282....