Germany Sees Rise in Child Sexual Abuse Cases, Police Sound the Alarm

German police recorded 18,736 victims of child sexual abuse last year — a 3.6% increase over the previous year. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the vast majority of victims were between six and 13 years old, with 74% of victims being girls and 26% boys.

The number of victims exceeds the number of registered cases, since a single offence can involve several children at once. Investigators are particularly alarmed by the fact that in 54% of cases the victim and the suspect knew each other.

Police also point to a sharp rise in crimes committed via the internet. Cases of non-contact child sexual abuse rose by 16.5%, to 4,861 incidents. This growth is being fuelled by so-called cyber-grooming, in which an offender uses a fake identity to build contact with a child on social media, later luring them into a real-life meeting where rape, sexual abuse or coercion into producing pornographic material most often follows.

The number of child pornography offences fell slightly compared to the previous year — by 2.7% — but remains extremely high at 41,677 cases. At the same time, the number of cases involving pornography featuring teenagers rose sharply to a new record of 11,515 cases (+19.9%). Police attribute this rise to the spread of “self-generated content,” in which minors themselves create and distribute such material.

In their report, German law enforcement officials also warn of the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence. Criminals are increasingly using real photos and videos to create deepfakes, as well as so-called “nudify” apps, which can make people appear to be depicted naked.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz