At first he tried to understand the language, from conversations or words that could be heard. An accent or some idiom can give away the country of origin of the victim or offender. It wasn’t the only element he had to focus on. Carefully studying each frame, he tried to find in the frame the slightest sign that could help crime detection. Evidence can be found in certain works of art, food packaging, bottle labels, children’s toys, drawings and prints on clothing that could be seen.

He had 12 days to review it last month at headquarters. Europol in The Hague, together with more than 30 experts, dozens of videos and photos from child pornography material. The term of consideration of each sample was not limited. In one case, the hint appeared within two minutes, in the other two hours and repeated viewings were required.

“First, the stomach tightens,” – says the Greek policeman from the electronic prosecutor’s office “K”.who participated this year from 8 to 19 May in Europol Task Force on Victim Identification. “However, you know that you must continue because the goal is sacred,” he adds.

For the past five years, he has been involved in investigating cases of child pornography and speaks “K” provided that its details are not made public for operational reasons. This was the second year in a row that he had participated in such a Europol operation. As he explains, all the specialists work in a common room for eight hours every day while the operation lasts. Europol has been coordinating this operation since 2014. In addition to representatives of European states, this year also analysts from Australia, USA, Canada and Colombia. Their coexistence in the same space helps, as one can immediately ask another colleague and consult with him if he finds clues that may indicate his country of origin.

“You see a piece of material as many times as you need. It is important that you have people from other countries with different equipment next to you, ”a Greek policeman tells K.

This year, according to data released by Europol, more than 460 sets of photographs and video files were examined of unknown victims of sexual violence, in some cases as young as a few days old. Investigators’ efforts this year have resulted in the identification and rescue of six children internationally and the arrest of one perpetrator. In addition, in 236 cases, the experts assessed the possible country of origin of the material in question, which is a necessary first step for more targeted monitoring by the relevant national authorities. These are cold cases, so any information that could “unblock” an investigation is considered valuable. “You see a piece of material as many times as it takes to recognize it. It is important that people from other countries, other cultures are next to you at this moment, who follow different techniques and bring their own experience.” says “K” prosecutor for cybercrimes.

Help from citizens

This is not Europol’s only approach to dealing with such cases. In mid-May, she posted 12 images of the items on her website asking for the public’s help in tracing the country of origin. One of these photos shows a child’s dress, another shows an orange T-shirt with a distinctive print, and the third shows a sheet of paper that looks like a diary scrap. The lens is so focused on the subject that the image is blurry, but perhaps someone in the world can provide a clue. Since 2017, this initiative has sent 27,500 pieces of information to Europol, resulting in the rescue of 23 minors and the prosecution of five perpetrators.

The numbers show how narrow the field for identifying victims and perpetrators can be. However, the efforts do not stop. This year, when it was announced to the participants during the investigations in The Hague that one of the cases they were investigating had ended successfully, everyone burst into applause. “If there is at least one victim, it will be a victory for us,” says a Greek policeman who participated in the operation.