A recent German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) report that focuses on criminal statistics for the previous year paints a grim picture regarding the sexual abuse of minors in the country. According to the report, on average 40 children were sexually abused per day, a number 6.43 percent higher compared to 2017. A staggering 14,600 cases were reported, meaning that about one child in every 2 million Germans faced abuse. It also reveals that 136 children were violently killed in 2018, 80 percent of which were under the age of six. A further 98 minors were the victims of attempted killings.

German authorities added to the grim statistics with additional comments, saying that a significant number of cases go under the radar for various reasons, including the child not always knowing what is happening to them, or not being able to successfully convince any adults of any wrongdoing. All in all, it is very difficult for minors to report such crimes.

"We must assume that many crimes go undetected," said BKA President Holger Münch. He added that the police were able to solve about 80 percent of all child sexual abuse cases in Germany, however "that statistic only represents crimes the police were made aware of."

As a parallel to physical sexual abuse of minors, underage pornographic material is also a big problem for German authorities, who have however made some gains in recent victories in cooperation with Interpol.

Last year, 7,449 cases involving both the production and distribution of child pornography were uncovered by the police, an overall increase of 14 percent compared to 2017.