MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sexual exploitation of children on the rise in Chile

“A 73% increase in the total rate of victims between 2022 and 2024,” Quesille said

Chilean Public Prosecutor's Office found that the sexual exploitation of children in the South American country was a “growing structural problem” between 2022 and 2024, with female adolescents aged 14-17 disproportionately targeted, prompting authorities to call for stronger state intervention to enforce the Lanzarote Convention.

The Children's Ombudsman, through its Rights Observatory, issued a stark warning on Thursday regarding a significant and sustained increase in the rates of victims of child and adolescent sexual exploitation (ESNNA) in Chile, based on updated reports filed with the Public Prosecutor's Office.

The Observatory detected that the total victim rate per 100,000 children and adolescents grew by 73% between 2022 and 2024. Additionally, the victim rate for these crimes increased by 89% over the two years.

Specifically, there was a 69% increase in procurement victims and a 92% rise in facilitation and promotion victims compared to 2022. A total of 858 victims were recorded in 2024 for these categories.

Crimes involving abusive material saw a 59% increase in the victim rate, with increases of 40% in storage, 88% in dissemination, and 30% in production, resulting in 840 victims recorded in 2024.

These figures encompassed a severe impact on specific groups and regions in 2024, as 90% of victims in procurement/facilitation crimes were girls and female adolescents. For abusive material, 82% of victims were women.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable, with 82% of victims of procurement/facilitation and 52% of victims of abusive material aged between 14 and 17 years old.

The highest rates of victims per 100,000 were recorded in Magallanes (165), Ñuble (74.8), and Los Ríos (47.7).

Children's Ombudsman Anuar Quesille stressed the gravity of the findings. “The Observatory's information shows us a 73% increase in the total rate of victims between 2022 and 2024, which highlights a growing structural problem, especially in digital environments, and reinforces the need for coordinated, preventive, and specialized responses from the State,” he stated.

Maurizio Sovino, director of the Specialized Unit for Sexual Crimes of the Public Prosecutor's Office, echoed these concerns. “As the Public Prosecutor's Office, we are deeply concerned about the increase in reports, and that is why we have strengthened our joint work with police units and other sectors... Although these actions are already reflected in a more effective criminal response, the figures show that more robust state measures are still needed to prevent these crimes and intervene effectively on behalf of victims,” Sovino pointed out.

The Children's Ombudsman's Office concluded its report by issuing a critical call to the state to strengthen prevention, effective criminal prosecution, and specialized protection mechanisms, always ensuring the best interests of children and avoiding re-victimization.

The agency also highlighted the urgent importance of Chile acceding to the Lanzarote Convention, the first international treaty dedicated to protecting children and adolescents from sexual violence.