Sexual violence against children “entrenched” and rising across Democratic Republic of the Congo – UNICEF

KINSHASA/NEW YORK, 30 December 2025 – Sexual violence against children is endemic, systemic, and worsening across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a new UNICEF report released today. While conflict remains a major driver, the report shows cases documented in communities across every province and rising sharply since 2022.

As shown in the report, nationwide data compiled by protection and gender-based violence service providers indicate that more than 35,000 cases of sexual violence against children were recorded nationwide in the first nine months of 2025, pointing to a crisis that continues to escalate. In 2024, nearly 45,000 cases against children were recorded, accounting for almost 40 per cent of all reported sexual violence cases – three times higher than in 2022.

These figures point to sustained and widespread harm, with the true toll likely far higher due to under-reporting, as fear, stigma, insecurity, and limited access to services prevent many survivors from ever reporting or seeking help.

"Case workers describe mothers walking for hours to reach clinics with daughters who can no longer walk after being assaulted. Families say that fear of stigma and retaliation often keeps them from reporting the abuse,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Stories like these are repeated across provinces, exposing an entrenched crisis driven by insecurity, inequality, and weak support systems.”

Distinct patterns emerging across provinces reveal the nature of the crisis. Most cases are concentrated in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, where conflict, displacement, and weakened protection systems drive extreme risk. But significant numbers are also documented in Kinshasa and the Kasai, where poverty, food insecurity, and school dropout heighten girls’ vulnerability to exploitation and early marriage.

Adolescent girls remain the most affected nationwide, accounting for the largest and growing share of survivors. Boys are also subjected to sexual violence but remain significantly under-represented in reported cases. Children with disabilities face heightened risks, with physical, social and communication barriers both increasing vulnerability and restricting access to care and justice.

In addition to the report’s findings, separate UN-verified data shed light on trends in conflict-affected regions. Recorded cases of sexual violence against children were already high in 2022 and 2023, before rising further in 2024 by nearly 30 per cent. Preliminary data from early 2025 suggest the situation remains acute, with cases reported in the first six months at levels that may represent more than 80 per cent of the total documented last year. 

Survivors often face severe physical injuries, unwanted pregnancies, heightened risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as deep emotional harm, including fear, anxiety, depression, and social rejection, including exclusion from families and communities. Yet access to lifesaving support remains limited.

UNICEF, along with the government and partners, is working to reach children through survivor-centred services, including clinical care, psychosocial support, safe spaces, and case management. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of child survivors assisted by UNICEF rose by 143 per cent, reaching more than 24,200 children across the most affected provinces in 2024.

However, insecurity and global funding cuts have forced many UNICEF-supported safe spaces, mobile clinics, and community-based protection programmes to scale back or close. By mid-2025, only 23 per cent of gender-based violence interventions were funded – down from 48 per cent in 2022 – putting hundreds of thousands of children, including 300,000 in conflict-affected eastern regions, at risk of losing access to life-saving support.

UNICEF urges the government, all parties to the conflict, civil society, and international partners to:

• End and prevent all forms of sexual violence against children, notably in conflict-affected situations, in line with national legislation and international law.
• Scale up gender-based violence response services equipped to meet the specific needs of child survivors, including safe spaces, clinical care, and mental health support, and facilitate survivors’ safe and confidential referrals to services.
• Strengthen accountability by supporting investigations, prosecuting perpetrators, and protecting survivors and witnesses, as well as strengthening data collection and reporting.
• Increase and sustain investment in expanding protection services and community-based prevention efforts.

“Addressing this crisis of sexual violence requires an immediate response and adherence to international law in conflict settings. Perpetrators must be held accountable, and women and children must have access to protection and support,” added Russell.

Read the full report here.