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Clemens Lammerskitten, (Germany, EPP/CCE) Congress Vice-President, accompanied by Andreas Kiefer, Congress Secretary General welcomed, on Monday 20 April 2015, John McGurk and 20 other runners representing the “4a Children’s World” association from Osnabrück. Mr McGurk is leading a two-week run across Germany to draw attention to the sexual violence suffered by children, while also promoting the Council of Europe’s ONE in FIVE campaign to stop sexual violence against children. Andreas Kiefer, on behalf of the Congress President, invited Mr McGurk to urge the local authorities he will meet during the run to adopt and sign the Congress Pact of Towns and Regions to Stop Sexual Violence against Children, while encouraging them to introduce policies and strategies to ensure effective protection. He also stressed that the German government has not yet ratified the Lanzarote Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The run will start in Munich and pass through Frankfurt, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Bremen, Hamburg and Dresden before ending in Berlin on 5 May 2015.

Website of the association '4a Children’s World'
Photos Gallery (Flickr)