More than 370 million girls and women around the world were victims of rape or sexual abuse during their childhood or adolescence, according to a Unicef report today.
This means that every eighth girl or woman was a victim of rape or sexual assault before the age of 18, according to a statement from the United Nations Children's Fund.
If to these attacks are added attacks in which there is no contact, such as verbal attacks on the Internet, the number of girls and women affected is 650 million worldwide, or one in five.
UNICEF Director Catherine Russell said that "sexual violence against children is an intolerable attack on the collective consciousness".
These assaults and rapes "cause deep and lasting trauma, and are often inflicted by a trusted person, in environments where the child should feel safe," adds Russell.
Data on sexual violence against children were published on the eve of October 11, the International Day of the Girl Child declared by the UN.
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