Overview

• Police recorded 16,354 child sex abuse cases in 2024 with about 18,085 victims, a slight dip from 2023 yet still above the five-year average.
• Roughly 73.9% of victims were girls, about 95% of suspects were male, more than half of cases involved a prior relationship, and about a third of suspects were minors with 12.1% under 14.
• Investigators report more offences occurring online, including cybergrooming and livestreamed abuse, complicating attribution and often involving cross-border activity.
• Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced a plan for a three‑month IP‑address retention and broader technical and staffing upgrades, with the BKA projecting higher identification rates for online suspects under such a regime.
• Youth‑pornography offences rose to a record 9,601, child‑pornography cases fell to 42,854 but remain elevated, and officials stress these figures reflect only reported cases with a likely large dark figure.