Cybercrime accounts for one in three offenses against children in Ukraine – Prosecutor General’s Office

Cyber-related offenses targeting children are rapidly increasing in Ukraine, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office. The alarming trend was highlighted by Olesia Voloshyna, Deputy Head of the Department for Protection of Children’s Rights and Prevention of Domestic Violence of the Prosecutor General’s Office, during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine.

“Every third crime committed against a child, excluding war crimes, is carried out in cyberspace. This is based on our data,” Voloshyna stated.

She emphasized that 89% of these offenses are tied to sexual exploitation, pornographic material, and online grooming.

However, the vast majority of such incidents are not brought to light by the victims or their families.

“Only 10% of cases are reported by children or individuals. About 20% are uncovered by prosecutors or investigators in the course of probing related crimes, while 70% are detected through the efforts of operational units,” Voloshyna explained.

She also noted a troubling shift in the age of the victims.

“Over the past year, the average age of victims has been declining. In 2023, half of the victims of cybercrime were children under the age of 14. This year, that figure has risen to over 63%,” she added.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news