Police reported the suspected abuse of a record-high 65,431 minors, aged under 18, to child welfare authorities in 2017, with a rise in psychological abuse contributing to the overall increase, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
The figure was up 20.7 percent, marking a rise for the 13th consecutive year and eclipsing the 60,000 mark for the first time since comparable data became available in 2004 — when police reported the suspected abuse of 962 children.
Police protection was offered last year to 3,838 children, up for the fifth straight year, mainly in emergency situations that were deemed to be life-threatening. An agency official put the increase down to "heightened social awareness" among citizens.