One in four rape victims in Catalonia is under 18

Some 26% of women who reported incidents of rape in 2017 in Catalonia were under 18, according to new figures from the Mossos d’Esquadra police. The figure means that of the 757 cases of rape reported by women last year, almost 200 were girls.

Figures show that the number of cases reported rose by 2.2% compared with 2016 (16 extra cases) and by 24% since 2013, when 609 sexual attacks were filed.

Where cases of sexual abuse are concerned, the police figures show that 32% of victims were under-18s, from a total of 1,084 cases reported in 2017.

Talking to the Catalan News Agency (ACN), a Mossos spokesman stressed the importance of reporting incidents of rape and sexual abuse to the police. The spokesman also pointed to education, particularly among young people, as a key element in helping to prevent sexual violence.

The police figures also show that 48% of people accused of raping a woman in 2017 in Catalonia were between 17 and 33 years old, while 42% of those accused of sexual abuse were in this age range.