Madagascar

Law on chemical/surgical castration approved by HCC: The High Constitutional Court (HCC) approved the new law on chemical or surgical castration for child rapists.

Law on chemical/surgical castration for child rapists passed: The National Assembly and Senate passed a new law introducing chemical or surgical castration as a penalty for child rapists, awaiting presidential decree. This highlights the severe stance against child sexual abuse.

Special Commission for Child Protection on Social Networks: The Boeny region initiated a special commission to protect children from social media use, reinforcing the application of the Cybercrime Law's articles related to child protection.

Launch of IWF reporting portal for CSAM: The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) launched a reporting portal in collaboration with the Madagascan Ministry of Population, Social Protection and Women’s Empowerment and UNICEF Madagascar, allowing anonymous reporting of online child sexual abuse material.

Loi n° 2016-031 effective date: Effective date of the amendment to the Cybercrime Law (Loi n° 2016-031).

Loi n° 2016-031 amending Loi n° 2014-006: Adoption of the amendment to the Cybercrime Law (Loi n° 2014-006) by Loi n° 2016-031, which replaced Article 20 (defamation/insult) and further detailed content-based offenses.

Civil society concerns over Cybercrime Law Article 20: Civil society organizations express deep concerns about Article 20 of the Cybercrime Law (defamation/insult of public bodies) and compare its penalties to those for child pornography, calling for its repeal.

Loi n° 2014-006 sur la lutte contre la cybercriminalité: Enactment of the Cybercrime Law, introducing specific offenses related to information systems and content, including child pornography, grooming, and making harmful content accessible to minors.

Loi n° 2007-023 portant protection de l'enfant: Enactment of the Child Protection Law, generally stating the right to protection against sexual exploitation, pornography, and prostitution.