The Darkness in Plain Sight: Germany's Alarming Rise in Child Sexual Violence Germany's Criminal Police Office has reported over 17,000 cases of sexual violence against children in a single year.
This staggering number is a stark reminder that child protection measures are woefully inadequate. The Cologne based support center Zartbitter e. V. has been sounding the alarm on this issue for decades.
According to Leonie Kirschstein, a psychologist who works with Zartbitter, many cases of sexual violence against children go unreported. "Crime statistics only include cases reported to the police," she notes.