Enact child criminal exploitation law
Petitioners ask Canada to enact a federal child‑exploitation law (UK‑2025), require social‑media safeguards, and compel police to investigate and protect witnesses. The government responds that Bill C‑16 would criminalize recruiting under‑18s; RCMP monitors online trafficking.
Why we would sign this petition
- Creates a federal offence focused on recruiting and exploiting children, giving courts a clear tool to hold exploiters accountable.
- Targets online routes the petition identifies by requiring social‑media safeguards, which could reduce minors’ exposure and recruitment.
- Mandating police investigations with witness protection would shift burden from families, improve evidence gathering and better protect exploited youth during prosecutions.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Provisions may overlap existing measures: the government has tabled Bill C‑16 and the RCMP says it already monitors online trafficking, so new statutes could be redundant.
- Requiring broad social‑media monitoring raises privacy and free‑expression concerns and may be hard to implement effectively by platforms or regulators.
- Mandating police action and witness protection could strain resources, demand complex interjurisdictional coordination, and risk unintended impacts on youth justice and supports.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada 60% of all illicit drug users in Canada are young people aged 15 to 24; The developing adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to the long-term effects of regular substance exposure, including permanent mental illness; Early age of first substance use is a major risk factor for lifelong addiction; Drug overdose is the leading cause of death among youth ages 10 to 18 in several Canadian provinces; A growing proportion of illicit drug trafficking to minors is occurring online, through social media and the Dark Web; Drug traffickers routinely groom and exploit minors, luring them into drug trafficking in exchange for substances and “gifts”, and there is no Canadian law protecting children from criminal exploitation, so the justice system treats exploited youth as perpetrators rather than victims; and Canadian police investigation policy prevents enforcement of drug trafficking laws involving minors, leaving the onus on affected families to gather evidence, with no protection for witnesses (see Civilian Review and Complaints Commission File # 2024-2648, currently under review). We, the undersigned, Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to establish a comprehensive legal framework to 1. Protect minors from predatory drug dealers; 2. Monitor social media to target online trafficking, and requiring social media companies to implement policies to prevent it; 3. Enact a federal law against Child Criminal Exploitation, based on the approach of the United Kingdom’s Crime and Policing Bill 2025; and 4. Empower and require police to thoroughly and effectively investigate all reports of drug trafficking and criminal exploitation involving minors, and to provide witness protection when needed. 1. Protect minors from predatory drug dealers; 2. Monitor social media to target online trafficking, and requiring social media companies to implement policies to prevent it; 3. Enact a federal law against Child Criminal Exploitation, based on the approach of the United Kingdom’s Crime and Policing Bill 2025; and 4. Empower and require police to thoroughly and effectively investigate all reports of drug trafficking and criminal exploitation involving minors, and to provide witness protection when needed.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY PATRICIA LATTANZIO On December 9, 2025, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-16, An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures), which proposes significant reforms to Canada’s Criminal Code and other pieces of legislation to address modern threats and better protect victims. Among other measures, Bill C-16 would create a new hybrid Criminal Code offence that criminalizes recruiting, counseling, encouraging or inviting a person under the age of 18 in the commission of an offence under the Criminal Code or the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, if the young person is afterwards a party to that offence or an offence related to that offence. The accused must also be in a position of trust, power or authority toward the young person. Every person convicted under this new section would be guilty of either an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than 5 years, or of an offence punishable on summary conviction. This new offence would protect youth from involvement in criminal activity by specifically targeting a growing concern: the recruitment of youth into criminal activity by individuals in positions of trust, power or authority, toward young people, including, among others, by reason of being 18 years of age or more. These adults prey on the vulnerability of youth by manipulating them into agreeing to commit crimes. Response by the Minister of Public Safety Signed by JACQUES RAMSAY, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY 1. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is committed to protecting Canadian minors from predatory drug dealers, which includes intervening before these activities target or include minors. Drug trafficking investigations and enforcement activities span federal, provincial, and municipal mandates, reflecting the varying scale and complexity of drug-related criminality. From a contract policing perspective, Royal Canadian Mounted Police divisions and municipal detachments establish public safety and enforcement priorities based on local community needs. This appropriately includes the investigation and disruption of provincial/territorial and local-level drug trafficking. Royal Canadian Mounted Police criminal investigation policy does not restrict the investigation of offences under the Criminal Code or Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to adults, nor does it limit investigations involving young persons. While the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) provides additional protections for young persons following arrest, it does not impede police investigations or disruption activities. The YCJA primarily influences court processes, which are beyond the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s operational control. In addition to enforcement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is engaged in education and prevention efforts. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Youth Officers are Royal Canadian Mounted Police employees assigned to work directly with youth, school staff, parents, community agencies, and volunteer organizations to deliver youth programming within the school environment. They leverage existing programs, educational resources and training to deliver early prevention and education to reduce youth vulnerability and protect them from predatory drug dealers. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Youth Officer Training enables youth-involved employees to recognize signs of grooming, coercion, intimidation, and exploitation connected to drug activities involving youth. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is currently developing a substance use prevention toolkit as part of the Government of Canada’s response to the drug crisis. The toolkit will identify key risk factors, emphasize protective factors to build youth resilience, and support informed, positive decision-making. Once completed, it will be available for use across Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also delivers several programs and resources, such as the Youth Leadership Workshop, RCMPTalks, and educational material distributed through the Centre for Youth Crime Prevention website to provide youth, frontline employees, parents, and educators with practical education on how predatory drug dealers operate, including tactics such as offering “free” substances, gifts, or a sense of belonging. 2. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s National Operations Units monitor social media activity to identify targeted online trafficking. Online and dark web drug trafficking, including recruitment and organized criminal activity, is complex and often spans provincial and international boundaries. While detachment-level investigators may receive complaints related to online or dark web activity, these investigations generally require specialized expertise and resources and, therefore, fall primarily within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s federal policing mandate. Recent headlines illustrate the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s success in dismantling dark web drug trafficking networks, such as a four-year investigation into a drug trafficking network that resulted in multiple charges against a man who evaded police, but who was extradited back from Germany to Canada in April 2026. 4. There are no legislative or policy barriers preventing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from investigating or disrupting drug trafficking or criminal exploitation involving minors. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police administers the federal Witness Protection Program for individuals whose safety may be at risk due to their cooperation with police or the courts. Referrals to this program are available to any police service in Canada. Where formal witness protection is not required, investigators may provide safety guidance, engage victim services, or connect witnesses and victims with partner agencies capable of providing appropriate support. Additionally, while it is beyond the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s purview, court processes may also be available to protect the identity and safety of witnesses during legal proceedings.