Germany’s Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Karin Prien, has underscored the urgent need to protect young people from sexual violence, calling it “one of the most pressing tasks of our time” ahead of the forthcoming publication of the Federal Situation Report on Sexual Offences against Children and Adolescents 2024.
Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, Minister Prien highlighted the continuous risks faced by young people, emphasizing that rapid digital advancements are creating new avenues for exploitation. She cited concerns including online grooming, sextortion and the misuse of emerging technologies like deepfakes within chat applications and social media platforms.
The Minister was keen to stress that danger isn’t solely confined to the digital sphere. Sexual violence, she noted, also occurs within children and adolescents’ immediate social environments – amongst family members, neighbours and other trusted individuals.
Prien emphasized that protecting young people from both those who manipulate and exploit them online and those who abuse their trust within close relationships is a shared societal responsibility.
Last year’s presentation of the report data revealed an increase in reported sexual offences against children and adolescents, a trend authorities are closely monitoring.
