REPORTS of digital sexual abuse against minors in Spain have increased by 13% in just two years, according to a new analysis published by Save The Children.
The organisation’s report, Behind the Screen: Sexual Violence Against Children in the Digital Environment, examines 23 court rulings linked to 28 cases of online grooming resolved between 2023 and 2024.
While limited to cases that reached court, the findings highlight a growing and largely hidden problem.
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Official data from the Ministry of the Interior shows that digital sexual offences against minors rose from 954 cases in 2022 to 1,078 in 2024.
Those most affected by these cases remain young girls, mostly at an average age of 13, who account for 68.6% of victims.
Online grooming refers to situations in which an adult contacts a child via digital platforms with the aim of sexual exploitation.
The report notes that perpetrators are most often men with no prior criminal record. In 41.7% of cases they were known to the child, while 25% involved family members – a significant increase compared to previous analyses.
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Save the Children also raises concerns about how the justice system handles these cases.
More than 60% of proceedings analysed lasted three years or longer, and 65% of victims were required to give testimony more than once, increasing the risk of re-traumatisation.
Catalina Perazzo, the Director of Influence and Territorial Development for Save the Children, said about the new report: “The increase in reports reflects greater visibility, but it also confirms that the internet remains an unsafe space for children.”
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While Spain’s child protection law requires child-friendly judicial procedures, Save the Children argues that implementation remains inconsistent and calls for expanded specialist courts, mandatory recorded testimony, and wider adoption of the Barnahus child-centred justice model.
Spain’s Ley 8/2021 states: ‘Violence against minors is a deplorable and widespread reality, affecting multiple spheres of life…This law combats violence against children and adolescents through a comprehensive approach, responding extensively to the multidimensional nature of its risk factors and consequences.’
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