08-07-2025
97pc of under-18s in Spain have been victims of sexual abuse
Ninety-seven per cent of children in Spain have been the victims of some form of sexual abuse, according to a report by Save the Children.
The report, based on interviews with 1,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 21, highlighted both the scale of abuse and the lack of children's awareness of online dangers.
Of those questioned, 33 per cent said that during their childhood they had been contacted online by an adult with sexual intent, and 38 per cent said they had received sexual comments or images without their consent.
The study also found that one in five of the respondents had experienced a situation in which AI-created 'deepfake' images depicting them naked had been shared with their peers.
These 'deepfake' images were used as a form of bullying among children, and also by adult sexual predators as a way to blackmail victims, the report explained.
Almost 70 per cent, however, said they did not perceive any risk from AI-generated photos or videos.
Victim felt 'it was her fault'
Lucía López, a Save the Children educator in Alicante, in the south-east of Spain, described a case in which a 12-year-old girl was threatened by an adult who told her that if she did not send an intimate photo of herself, he would publish naked photos of her created using AI.
'The girl claimed she had never forwarded photos of herself with that type of content, but she felt she had caused the situation and that it was her fault,' Ms López said.
According to the latest official data from Spain's interior ministry, the police received 4,896 reports of cyber crimes against children and adolescents in 2023, of which 1,068 were sexual offences.
'These figures represent only the tip of the iceberg, as most cases go unreported, partly due to the lack of reporting and partly due to the difficulties in detection, which increase when these incidents occur online,' said Catalina Perazzo, a social impact director at Save the Children.
