Crime statistics: violence against children in germany has increased - focus online

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Children in Germany suffer from violence every day. The perpetrators are often their own parents. Children’s Aid and the Federal Criminal Police Office presented the crime statistics for 2017 on Tuesday. It shows that violence against children has increased slightly.

For the majority in Germany "a slap on the bum" or a slap in the face now, as a study published in 2016 showed. But violence against children is still widespread, physically, psychologically and sexually. This emerges from a report by the association Deutsche Kinderhilfe and the Federal Criminal Police Office on June 5th 2018 in Berlin.

143 children died in 2017 as a result of violence. Almost 78 percent of them were under the age of six at the time of death. In 77 cases, one attempted killing remained. A total of 4208 children were affected by violence.

This means that the numbers rose slightly compared to the previous year. In 2016, 4204 children were badly abused in Germany, 133 children died.

Less sexual assault on children

In the field of sexual violence the statistics show a decline of 3.64 percent. Nevertheless, the numbers are terrifying: 13,539 children were registered as victims of sexual violence in 2017 – the number of unreported cases is far higher.

The number of cases recorded in the crime statistics on Possession and distribution of child pornographic material increased by 15.06 percent compared to the previous year.

"Cybergrooming, sexual abuse and filming these horrific acts are a reality for thousands of children", says Johannes Wilhelm Rörig, the Independent Representative for Child Sexual Abuse Issues. The increase in extremely hard scenes of violence and the increasing number of scenes with toddlers and babies is particularly frightening.

Detect disorders in parents at an early stage

"Every week, at least two children fall victim to homicide; almost 50 children are abused or sexually abused every day. And these are just the cases that the police are aware of. We have to assume that many deeds go undetected", warns Holger Münch, President of the Federal Criminal Police Office.

Rainer Becker, CEO of Deutsche Kinderhilfe, adds that "To protect children, risk factors such as separation conflicts and mental disorders in parents must be recognized at an early stage."

You can find help here

Parents who feel overwhelmed with their child can contact educational advice centers or the youth welfare office. In the On-line-Advice from Caritas experts also answer anonymously online to questions from parents and children.