Basic Determinants of Criminal Prosecution Related to the Topic of Sexual Exploitation of Children on Computer Systems and Networks in the Republic of Croatia

Tradicionalne mjere kriminalističkog istraživanja i dokazivanja pojavnosti sadržaja spolnog iskorištavanja djece u vrijeme intenzivne uporabe računalnih sustava i mreža i njihova stalnog razvoja i globalizacije nisu se pokazale učinkovitima. Stoga su na međunarodnoj razini razvijeni posebni instrumenti usmjereni prema harmonizaciji materijalnog i postupovnog prava, kojima je danas određen predmet kriminalističkog postupanja. Uvodno se daje njihov prikaz, a zatim se fenomenološkom analizom utvrđuju najučestaliji pojavni oblici u Republici Hrvatskoj. Nastavno na pravne osnove i pojavne oblike analiziraju se najistaknutiji stadiji i elementi kriminalističkog istraživanja, zajednički modelima istraživanja na međunarodnoj razini. Pregled se zaključuje procjenom slabosti sustava i u skladu s tim predlažu se odgovarajuća rješenja.The traditional measures of criminal investigation and proof concerning the manifestation of the sexual exploitation of children at a time of intensive use of computer systems and networks and their continuous development and globalisation have not proven to be efficient. Therefore, special instruments have been developed at an international level focusing on the harmonisation of substantive and procedural law, which currently determine the subject-matter of criminal prosecution. An overview is given in the introduction, followed by a phenomenological analysis to establish the most frequent forms in which this phenomenon manifests itself in the Republic of Croatia. After analysing the legal basis and forms of manifestation, the author moves on to the most prominent stages and elements of criminal investigation, in line with the models of investigation at the international level. The overview concludes with an evaluation of the weaknesses of the system and a suggestion of appropriate solutions