Germany reports over 16,300 child abuse cases in a year

BERLIN

German authorities documented 16,354 suspected cases of child sexual abuse involving 18,085 victims last year, according to a government report released on Thursday.

"The number of sexual abuse of children and adolescents is shockingly high and remains at an unacceptable level. We cannot tolerate this," Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told a press conference in Berlin, presenting the report.

In 2024, cases involving the production, distribution, acquisition, and possession of child pornographic content reached an all-time high with 9,601 cases (8.5% increase), according to the report.

Interior Minister Dobrindt said the government is working on a draft legislation that would require internet providers to store user IP addresses for a longer period.

"We need to technically equip our security authorities so that they can identify perpetrators, especially on the internet and stop ongoing abuse. Therefore, we will introduce the storage of IP addresses as a central tool to better protect children and bring perpetrators to court," he said.

BKA chief Holger Munch said that while police-registered cases of child sexual abuse have remained nearly constant in 2024 after years of increase, the numbers still remain above the five-year average.

"The slight decrease compared to the previous year offers no real relief, as each case represents profound suffering for the victims. In many instances, the abuse continues over time, occurs repeatedly, and sometimes spans several years," he said.

"Similar to previous years, most cases involved a pre-existing personal relationship between victims and suspects, occurring either within families or social circles. Men continue to represent the vast majority of suspects, accounting for approximately 95% of all crimes," Munch added.