World Day for the Rights of Children and Adolescents: Report on Minors Victims of Abuse Drafted

Il 20th November of each year is celebrated the World Day for the Rights of Children and Adolescents.

The date falls on the day in which, in 1959, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child that, in 1989, has been integrated with the International Convention on the Rights of Children and Adolescents. This international treaty has determined a turning point in the way of considering children and young people, considering them no longer only people in need of help and protection, but also citizens capable of having opinions and making decisions and which also establishes, in their favor, inalienable rights such as the right to life, health, education, play, family, protection from violence, non-discrimination and being heard.

An anniversary that must also be a moment of reflection, during which the Criminal Analysis Service of the Central Directorate of Criminal Police created a elaborate on crimes related to violence against minors, to monitor and raise awareness of this important phenomenon.

Il Report on Minors Victims of Abuse, is an in-depth analysis of the forms of crime that have most affected minors, both in the two-year period 2022-2023, both in the period January 1 – June 30, 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year. The crimes analyzed are abandonment of minors or incapable persons, abuse of means of correction or discipline, enticement of minors, sexual acts with minors, mistreatment of family members and cohabitants, child pornography, abduction of incapable persons, violation of family assistance obligations, the various cases relating to sexual violence.

In the first half of the current year, an overall trend emerged increase of 10% of crimes committed, compared to the same period last year. In particular, a increase of 22% respectively of the abuse of means of correction or discipline, of 15% of mistreatment against family members and cohabitants and the abduction of incapacitated persons, a decrease of 16% respectively of the solicitation of minors, of 17% of the violation of family assistance obligations, and of 24% of aggravated sexual violence because it was committed in educational institutions.

In the same time frame, the victims minors under the age of 18 are increasing in the cases of abandonment of minors or incapacitated persons (+ 12 %), of abuse of means of correction or discipline (+ 11 %) and child pornography (+ 83 %).

It is important to point out that, among the victims of sexual crimes, those of female gender. Instead, for the crimes of abandonment of minors or incapacitated persons, abuse of means of correction or discipline and violation of family assistance obligations, the victims of male gender.

Also in the first half of 2024, the reports against alleged known authors, in the majority of male gender, are mainly related to the age group between between 35 and 64 years (60%).

The Report then develops an in-depth analysis of the so-called "frontier of the virtual world“, also made possible thanks to the contribution provided by the Postal Police Service and Cyber ​​Security. In the two-year period 2022-2023, the decrease in cases of online grooming and cyberbullying and increase in cases of sextortion. In the same period, despite being overall in increase the cd too revenge porn, or the illicit dissemination of sexually explicit images or videos, the number of minor victims decreased by 8%.

A particular reflection must be made on the high number of victims under the age of 14, which further highlights the seriousness of a worrying phenomenon, also due to the consequences on the psycho-physical development of young victims of criminal conduct.

The Report aims to draw attention to the theme of violence against minors, highlighting the work of the Police Forces in the fight against a hateful, cowardly and aberrant phenomenon, with the hope that it can contribute to supporting a path of cultural growth that starts right here from awareness and knowledge.

The Department of Public Security of the Ministry of the Interior has the issue of minors particularly at heart and the attention of the Police Forces on this phenomenon is always very high, through the development of specific sensitivities and investigative professionalism that contribute to the prevention and contrast activity.

Protecting minors means protecting our present and our future.