An increasing number of schoolgirls have been the target of sexual assault in recent months, the National Police Agency said Thursday, noting an 18.4 percent rise in the first 10 months of the year in the number of children overall who were victims of heinous crimes.
While the number of reported sexual assault cases targeting adult women from January to October reached 694, down 6.8 percent from the same period of last year, those involving elementary, junior high and high school girls rose 23.2 percent to 356, the NPA said.
According to the NPA, cases involving elementary school girls increased 25.6 percent to 49, those involving junior high pupils rose by 37.5 percent to 77, and those targeting high school girls increased by 18.6 percent to 230. The NPA also said 2,019 schoolgirls -- including 838 elementary school pupils, 438 junior high school girls and 745 high school students -- were sexually molested, up 20.3 percent from the same period last year. The number is almost double that for adult victims.
The police data also show that 17 elementary school children were slain during the January-October period, up 13 percent. Robbery cases targeting junior high school pupils rose 36 percent, and those targeting high school students rose 15 percent, according to the NPA.