We are delighted to announce that following the nomination of MECPATHS for a European Enterprise Award in Autumn 2020, we received notification that MECPATHS has been successful in its category, Social Justice Enterprise of the Year 2021 (Human Trafficking).
The award notification comes at a time when Ireland becomes more active in its efforts to counter the exploitation of children with the ratification of The Lanzarote Convention secured and the introduction of The Criminal Justice (Exploitation of Children in the Commission of Offences) Bill which makes it a criminal offence for an adult to compel or coerce, or induce or invite, a child to engage in criminal activity.
The new measures were introduced in the wake of the Greentown findings, a four-year project by researchers in University of Limerick published in 2017. It concluded that criminal gangs were recruiting and exploiting children as young as 11 years by using drugs, alcohol and the notion of status.
MECPATHS remains appreciative of all those who make up our network of supporters and to those who commit to bringing about increased safety measures and protections for all children.
MECPATHS has been working with Tusla since 2022 to help raise awareness around Child Trafficking amongst their staff. In
MECPATHS & Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University formally launched our A
August 2023: Education Manager, Ann Mara and Network & Communications Manager, J.P. O’Sullivan chat with Susanne R
