The newly-launched Domestic Abuse Task Force estimates that there are some 160,000 children victims of sexual violence in France every year - and many cases go unreported.
ADVERTISEMENTThe head of a new French police service dedicated to the fight against violence against minors has announced that "160,000 children" are victims of sexual violence each year in the country.
That equates to one every three minutes.
Gabrielle Hazan, the new Domestic Abuse Task Force lead for the French National Police has called for those with knowledge of such incidents to bring it to her team’s attention.
“Online child crime and incest are today the same phenomenon,” Hazan said, adding, “We receive 700 reports per day for child criminal content that is exchanged online in France.”
Hazan also called for vigilance from all corners of society.
"There are nearly 440 children and adolescents victims of sexual violence every day but, in the end, there will only be around fifty cases which will be brought to the attention of the authorities.”
“We all have a role to play in preventing and detecting this violence,” she added.