Global reports of sexual violence against minors

Authorities in Madagascar and France have conducted several arrests related to sexual violence against minors. In Madagascar, a 47-year-old man was arrested in the Ambohijanaka commune following the assault of a 13-year-old girl with mental disabilities. This follows a series of reported cases in Namontana, Tolagnaro, Sambava, and Amparafaravola, with police noting an increase in victims and families filing complaints.

In France, a 42-year-old former childminder was taken into custody in Perros-Guirec after a 13-year-old boy used screenshots and video evidence from Snapchat to help identify him. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record, allegedly posed as a 15-year-old online.

In Mauritania, police arrested a suspect who confessed to the rape of a seven-year-old girl in the Teyenguine district of Nouakchott. While the Mauritanian Observatory for Justice and Equality praised the police response, they condemned the social media circulation of the victim’s personal data. Concurrently, authorities prevented a planned protest in Nouakchott organized under the slogan ‘No to Rape, No to Impunity’ to demand stricter penalties for sexual violence against children.