According to data from the French Ministerial Statistical Department for Internal Security (SSMSI), the number of victims of sexual violence in France rose by 7 % in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching 122 600 victims, and rapes and attempted rapes increased by 9 %. Between 2016 and 2024, the number of victims of sexual violence more than doubled.
In Germany, the number of cases of child and youth pornography on the internet doubled from 2020 to 2022, reaching 48 821 cases. In 2022, 15 520 cases of child sexual abuse were registered. The number of rapes, sexual assaults and particularly serious sexual assaults recorded by the police almost doubled between 2014 and 2024, reaching 13 320 cases.
The publication of these facts is welcome. Only by naming the problem can a lasting solution be found. Member States of the Council of Europe should publish detailed statistics so that the Parliamentary Assembly can examine the state of (in)security and issue recommendations on best practices.
Moreover, the Assembly should call on member States to provide police and judicial authorities with better training and equipment to combat sexual violence; to ensure that victims of sexual violence have rapid and effective access to legal remedies, adequate protection measures and the best possible medical and psychological assistance; to discuss the causes of the increase in sexual violence transparently, as a matter of priority and with public participation, and to draw far-reaching political conclusions in order to combat the root causes. The Assembly should also emphasise the importance of international security, co-operation and data exchange between member States in order to support the fight against sexual violence.