In the Miviludes 2009 report, Georges Fenech, as President of the Miviludes, did a full review of the problems that could have occurred in EU countries regarding children and so called “sects”.
Results of the review made clear that no real problem existed in Europe regarding this issue. For example, the review of the UK is reported in the report in the following way: “The sect phenomenon has little impact on youth in the United Kingdom. Only a few cases have been reported”.
As concerns Germany: “According to the Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, which coordinates interdepartmental work on issues related to sectarianism in Germany, the report of the “Bundes Kriminal Amt” (“BKA”) on the disappearances of individuals contains no reference to the sect phenomena that are the cause of wrongful removal of children.”
Regarding the Czech Republic, five reports are identified by Miviludes over the past 20 years. Regarding Portugal: “This country does not identify any criminal activity involving a sectarian movement.”
Regarding the Netherlands: “Activities of movements and practices with risk of sectarian deviances is not considered a threat in itself in the Netherlands and does not constitute the subject of any specific public policy. “(…)”According to the “Council of Child Welfare” and the Department of Justice, the phenomenon of sectarianism is not subject to any registration or reporting especially in the area of child protection”.
Regarding Greece: “There are also no recent incidents in the matter of children in Greece.”
Ireland: “The Irish competent services in the field of sectarian affecting youth are the Central Authority in relation to child abduction under the Ministry of Justice, and the office of Minister for Children and youth. These two services could not cite any recent case of wrongful removal of children linked to sectarian movements or case of sectarianism on children.”
Romania: “Similarly, the specialized services of these departments have not been confronted with sectarian drift related to children.”
As concerns Poland: “The relevant departments in Poland, including the Prosecutor’s Office, reported no recent case of sectarianism on children.”
In Lithuania, no reports regarding sectarian cases: “In addition, the French notion of “sectarian deviance” is foreign to the Lithuanian approach regarding movements or religious groups which are all listed in the Department of Justice.”
Regarding Italy: “No specific information regarding sectarian affecting minors can be reported during the past year, whether from the interior ministry, or from the Ministry of Social Affairs.”
Regarding Finland: “The different movements also considered as risk present in Finland, do not seem to be reported as abuses involving children or youth.”
Regarding Latvia, Albania and Malta: “The embassies had no knowledge of missing children, parental conflict regarding the placement of children in sectarian organizations or sectarian deviances on children.”
In Luxemburg: “The Department of Justice indicates that the Prosecutor General’s Office reported no domestic case of wrongful removal of children in connection with sectarian movements and no special consideration was currently underway at the Department of Justice on the issue of sectarian aberrations affecting minors.”