In 2024, 438 children were referred to the Children's Home, according to data released by Hope for Children on Tuesday, the Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, noting the importance of recording data.
The majority of the children (74,4%) were girls and 25,6% were boys, with the average age being 12 years and the most common age being 14. According to Hope for Children, which was entrusted with the operation of the Children's Home, the majority of the children (70,8%) referred had Cypriot citizenship.
89,2% of the incidents had occurred within the 12 months prior to referral, while 10,8% concerned incidents that had occurred more than a year ago.
The largest percentage, 57,9%, concerned abuse between a minor and an adult. Only for 4,7% (20 children) was the suspect unknown to the child. In 58,6% the sexual abuse was outside the family, of which for 53,9% the suspect was a known or familiar person. For 26,4% the relationship between the child and the suspect was intra-family (mother, father, stepfather/stepmother, sibling).
Furthermore, in 2024, in approximately 20 cases, a child was accompanied by a social worker or psychologist for their participation in the judicial process, while 18 children testified via videoconference in specially designed spaces of the Children's Home in all provinces.
Since its establishment in 2017, the Children's Home has received 3.019 referrals of children.
"The data captures the characteristics of the problem and the continuous effort of protection services. At the same time, they document the need to strengthen structures and make decisions based on real data – from prevention and education to timely reporting and supporting children in the judicial process," says Hope for Children.
The “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center notes, in its announcement, that it is promoting the Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse by adopting and highlighting the Council of Europe guidelines, which this year focus on the need for policies based on reliable, comprehensive and systematic data on the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
"The European call is clear: child protection can no longer be based on good intentions alone. It requires documented knowledge, accurate recording, analysis and utilization of data that allow the state and institutions to design effective policies and targeted interventions," he says.
It also notes that these priorities take on even greater importance in view of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026. "The Presidency is a key opportunity for Cyprus to highlight at the European level the need for systematic data collection and analysis, as well as for strengthening the structures that protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation," the announcement states.
Hope For Children Executive Director Andrea Neocleous said that "the Children's Home is the only Cyprus-wide organization that collects, maintains and analyzes data on all reports/complaints of incidents of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children without exception. The data it collects needs to form a foundation for the continuous planning of policies, strengthening of services and effective protection of children."
Conducting research and adopting a specialized tool for recording data by all stakeholders needs to be a priority for Cyprus, as it is also part of the "National Strategy and Action Plan for Combating Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse Material 2025–2028" of the VOICE Council.
"This day calls us to turn sensitivity into action. Not to remain spectators. To remember that protecting children is not the responsibility of a few - it is the responsibility of all of us," he notes.
Source: KYPE
