The grand duchy’s government wants any travel limitations on convicted child offenders to be agreed among EU member states. Pictured: Félix Braz, Luxembourg’s justice minister, speaks with Heiko Maas, Germany’s federal justice minister, during an EU meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, on 7 July 2017. MJUST

The grand duchy’s government wants any travel limitations on convicted child offenders to be agreed among EU member states. Pictured: Félix Braz, Luxembourg’s justice minister, speaks with Heiko Maas, Germany’s federal justice minister, during an EU meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, on 7 July 2017. MJUST

The information was disclosed in a written response by Braz on 25 July to a parliamentary question posed by the CSV MP Nancy Arendt.

A bill pending before Australia’s parliament would strip convicted paedophiles, who are on a national register, of their passports.

An estimated 20,000 passports could be cancelled if the law passes, according to RTL.

In June, Arendt asked Braz if he would submit similar legislation to Luxembourg’s Chamber of Deputies.

Braz did not reject the premise in this week’s letter. But he told Arendt that potential travel restrictions should be agreed at EU level and would have to take into account European free movement rights.

There are no immediate plans for EU justice ministers to discuss the idea, a spokesman for Braz told Delano on Wednesday.

Crime figures

There were 27 criminal cases of statutory rape, indecent assault of minors, child pornography and grooming of children between 1 January and 30 June 2017, according to justice ministry statistics released by Braz. There were seven criminal convictions during that time.

In 2016, there were 49 cases and 20 criminal convictions. For comparison, there were:

  • 41 criminal inquiries and 18 convictions in 2015;
  • 48 cases and 15 convictions in 2014;
  • 25 cases and 10 convictions in 2013;
  • 30 cases and 9 criminal sentences in 2012.

The justice minister added that Luxembourg residents can be prosecuted for crimes against children abroad, but the public prosecutor’s office could not break out how many infractions were committed outside of the grand duchy.