Original article: Chile: Defensoría de la Niñez advierte aumento «significativo y sostenido» de casos de explotación sexual infantil

Chile’s Child Advocacy Agency Reports Alarming Rise in Child Sexual Exploitation Cases

The Rights Observatory of the Child Advocacy Agency has raised an alarm over a «significant and sustained increase» in the rates of child and adolescent victims of sexual exploitation, following the update on the number of reports submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

From 2022 to 2024, the victimization rate per 100,000 children and adolescents rose by 89% for crimes related to procurement and facilitation, and by 59% for those associated with abusive material, confirming a troubling upward trend that the Agency described as «highly concerning.»

Comparing to 2022, the increases are striking: a 69% rise in procurement victims, 92% in facilitation and promotion victims, and an 89% increase in the combined rate of both crimes. In 2024, these categories reported a total of 858 victims.

In 2024, the highest rates were observed in Magallanes (165), Ñuble (74.8), and Los Ríos (47.7). Of all reported victims, 90% are female children and adolescents, with 82% aged between 14 and 17, highlighting a particularly severe impact on adolescence.

The analysis also shows a notable increase in reports of crimes linked to abusive material: a 40% rise in storage offenses, 88% in dissemination, and a 30% increase in production, totaling 840 victims reported in 2024, 82% of whom are women, and 52% are between 14 and 17 years old.

In this regard, the Child Advocate, Anuar Quesille, explained that «the Observatory’s data reveals a 73% increase in the total victim rate from 2022 to 2024, evidencing a growing structural problem, especially in digital environments, and underscores the need for coordinated, preventive, and specialized responses from the State.»

Meanwhile, Maurizio Sovino, director of the Specialized Unit for Sexual Crimes at the Public Prosecutor’s Office, expressed that «as the Prosecutor’s Office, we are deeply concerned about the rise in reports, which is why we have strengthened collaborative efforts with police units and the intersector, along with enhancing the specialized training of prosecutors.»

«While these actions have already led to a more effective legal response, the figures indicate that more robust state measures are still needed to prevent these crimes and effectively assist victims,» Sovino emphasized.

Updated data can be reviewed at observatorio.defensorianinez.cl/estarprotegido/

Image Credit: Referencial (archive)