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ARCHIVED - Online sexual harassment of minors in Spain increases by 55 per cent
Cases of child grooming on the internet have jumped by 175% in just two years in Spain
Child grooming, or the sexual harassment of minors via the internet, increased by a shocking 55% in 2020, according to the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office (FGE). The report released on Monday September 6 shows that these offences are up 175% compared to 2018.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, this ‘worrying evolution’ of online crimes has resulted in minors being targeted in 8.5% of all cases, with 16,914 legal proceedings taken in 2020, 28.69% more than in the previous year. In addition, experts warn that the data presented don’t tell the full story of the numbers of children being targeted online as so many crimes go unreported.
On the other hand, the department assured that despite the slowdown in official proceedings due to the coronavirus pandemic, 3,207 indictments were still filed last year, 12.64% more than the previous year.
Within the report, the FGE also reports that there was a marked decrease in juvenile crime during the height of the pandemic, which dropped by 20%, while crimes of domestic violence involving minors dipped only slightly. As a protective measure for children in abusive households, parents accused of domestic violence will now not be allowed visitation rights.
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