A total of 469 reports of sexual abuse against children were received in 2023 and 330 by October 2024, Hope for Children CRC Policy Centre said on Monday, the European day for the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.

The police launched a campaign on Monday to raise awareness about the sexual abuse of children, with police chief Themistos Arnaoutis saying the force received 315 complaints in 2023 and so far in 2024 there have been 258 reports.

Hope for Children said police statistics indicated 203 cases of electronic crime with 106 underaged victims in 2023, while until the end of October this year the police handled 161 cases with 96 underage victims.

In a separate message, child rights commissioner Despina Michaelidou said children aged 3 to 13 accounted for 83 per cent of the 785,000 reports of online child abuse worldwide in 2023.

The commissioner also said 16 per cent of victims were aged 14 to 17, recording an increase since 11 per cent in 2022 and 16 per cent in 2023, and that 95 per cent of the victims were girls.

This year’s priority of the European day, established by the Council of Europe in 2015, is emerging technologies and the threats and opportunities for the protection of children.

Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR), including the Metaverse, are often being misused for child sexual offences in social media, networking and online gaming contexts.

These technologies increase risks such as solicitation, grooming, exposure to harmful content and sexual exploitation or sexual abuse of children.

The commissioner said statistics sounded an alarm, which indicated the need to take measures collectively to protect children, regardless of age or gender.

Michaelidou said raising awareness on the proper use of emerging technologies was everyone’s obligation.

“On the occasion of this European day, let us all become committed and informed and take action so that the children navigate the digital world safely,” she added.

In 2023, a total of 315 cases of sexual abuse of children reached the police. All cases reported to the police are handled by well-trained investigators. Once a complaint is received, the Children’s House is immediately informed and a meeting is set up with the investigator and the social worker for a video interview.

Of the cases reaching the police, most victims are female, with 85 per cent being girls.

Sometimes, cases are taken directly to the Children’s House, hence the differing statistics. However, for a case to be investigated and perpetrators convicted, it is necessary for it to be reported to the police.

The police launched a campaign on Monday to raise awareness about the sexual abuse of children, in cooperation with the Bank of Cyprus’ SupportCY, Foni and the Child’s Smile.

The campaign will include TV and social media spots, which will play till the end of the year. The TV spots are narrated by actual investigators, presenting cases and the final convictions.

Arnaoutis referred to the work of the investigators and the trauma children suffer when abused.
Referring to statistics since 2017, when the investigators’ team was set up, Arnaoutis said that during the first year the police received 138 reports. In 2018 they rose to 167, 211 in 2019, 197 in 2020, 278 in 2021, 303 in 2022 and 315 in 2023. So far, in 2024, there have been 258 reports.

“We see the increase in numbers positively, because we are worried when the children are silent, not when they speak,” Arnaoutis said.

Addressing the children, he said, “It is never your fault, we are here, all together, for you.”

Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis said the need to speak openly about the sexual abuse of children has never been greater.

Hartsiotis said a lot has been done over the past few years in raising awareness, prosecuting perpetrators and protecting the victims.

The minister said he was shocked that in most cases the perpetrators were people close the children and their families and pointed out that people applying for jobs with access to or in contact with children were obliged to present certification that they were not included in police records for sexual crimes.