The Senate has adopted a legislative proposal that redefines child pornography and increases penalties for sexual abuse of minors.

The Senate adopted in plenary on Wednesday a legislative proposal that amends the Penal Code, redefining child pornography and adjusting the penalties for acts related to sexual abuse of minors. With 78 votes "for", 31 against, and 5 abstentions, the title of Article 374 will be changed from "Child Pornography" to "operations with materials containing sexual abuse of minors".

The project provides for prison sentences of 2 to 7 years for procuring, possessing, or distributing materials containing sexual abuse of minors, while the solicitation or recruitment of minors for sexual exploitation will be punished with imprisonment from 5 to 12 years. The initiative, supported by parliamentarians from PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR, and POT, also includes exceptions for consensual interactions between teenagers with a maximum age difference of 3 years. Diana Tușa, the initiator of the project, emphasized the importance of protecting children and providing a legislative framework adapted to technological realities. The project will be further debated by the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making body.