As police in UK investigate no less than 1,400 potential child sex abusers – including many politicians and celebrities – Portugal woke up to reports today (May 21) that child sex-abuse cases investigated by PJ police have reached a 10-year high.
According to national deputy director Pedro do Carmo, PJ police carried out 1,335 inquiries into alleged cases of child sex abuse last year alone.
In terms of child pornography, police investigated a total of 242 cases compared to 94 in 2013.
The number of people arrested due to child sex abuse also increased from 97 in 2013 to 189 last year.
“This is a persistent issue that needs to be fought permanently,” Carmo told Jornal de Notícias.
He also warned parents to be “especially careful” about letting their children use social networks, as he explained “there are more and more cases of adults passing themselves off as minors” on sites such as Facebook.
