Romania reports over 20,000 cases of child abuse and neglect

In 2025, Romanian child protection services recorded 20,403 cases of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Of these, 1,712 were identified as sexual abuse cases, with girls accounting for approximately 90% of victims (1,536 girls compared to 176 boys).

Reports of child sexual abuse material via the Esc_ABUZ helpline rose significantly, from 19,369 reports in 2024 to over 50,000 in 2025. Additionally, research from Salvați Copiii indicates that nearly one in three children has received explicit sexual content online, and one in five has been asked to send explicit photos or videos.

To address these issues, Salvați Copiii România has launched the B-FRAME project, funded by the European Union’s CERV program. The two-year initiative aims to establish new Barnahus centers in nine counties. These multidisciplinary centers are designed to protect child victims of physical and sexual abuse during judicial procedures. Currently, only one such center exists in Bucharest. The project also involves training over 340 professionals and developing legislative proposals to integrate the Barnahus model into judicial proceedings.