A recent report by the Terre des Hommes Foundation, a children's rights group, shows a surge in cases of child abuse in Italy families, with girls accounting for 61 per cent of the total.
In Italy, the number of crimes against minors is constantly rising every year: a total of 6,952 in 2023, an average of 19 per day, 95 more than in 2022, the website Leggo Italy reported. The number of cases has increased by 34 per cent compared to 10 years ago and has soared by 89 per cent since 2006. The Terre des Hommes Foundation sheds light on this worrying situation in The State of the Global Girl Child 2024.
The report notes that the most common and fastest-growing type of crime against minors in Italy is domestic abuse: 2,843 occurred in 2023, an increase of 6% compared to 2022 and double since 2013.
This is followed by cases of sexual violence: 912 cases were reported last year, an increase of 1% compared to 2022 and an increase of 51% since 2013.
Overall, 61 per cent of victims of violence are girls. In cases of sexual violence, that rises to 89 per cent.
In addition, girls are frequently victims of cyberbullying, especially the increasing misuse of AI technology, such as the dissemination of false personal images on social media.
Paolo Ferrara, Director General of the Italy branch of the Terre des Hommes Foundation, points out two key issues: "First, the family is supposed to be a safe and welcoming place, a warm haven for children to grow up and set sail, but this model seems to be in crisis. We must do our utmost to ensure that parents are no longer isolated and able to cope with the growing vulnerability. ”
"The second is violence, especially physical violence, which is still concentrated on girls. We must continue to work on a cultural struggle to break down patriarchal structures and build a more inclusive society based on respect. ”
The report also shows that women aged 14 to 26 are concerned about their mental health: 90% believe their mental health is at "serious risk".
In addition, Deputy Director General of the Italy National Police, Eugenia Sepe, cautioned that although data shows that more victims have the courage to come forward and report the crimes they have suffered, there are still many that remain uncovered and the actual number of victims may be much higher than the reported figures.
(Yi Yi Yi original, translation: Sasha, editor: Shu Liao, see the annotation for the picture source, please indicate Yi Yi: oushitalia for reprinting)