Nine out of ten minors entering prostitution have previously suffered violence in their family, according to – Franceinfo

Nine out of ten girls who entered prostitution when they were still minors had previously suffered violence within their family, according to investigation (PDF document) carried out by the Observatory of Violence against Women of Seine-Saint-Denis. The study, published on Tuesday 23 November, is based on the examination of 101 files of victims of prostitution taken care of by the Social Assistance for Children (ASE) of Seine-Saint-Denis, shows that the paths of victims, the vast majority of whom are girls (99 out of 101), are marked by violence (99%) suffered before entering prostitution. For seven out of ten girls, it is sexual violence. Eight out of ten cases were rape or attempted rape.

According to the survey, these victims of prostitution fail at school and suffer violence within their establishment (96%). These girls also experience significant health problems: nine out of ten underage girls are in poor health (sexually transmitted infections, post-traumatic stress disorders such as eating disorders or severe anxiety attacks). Six in ten underage girls have been hospitalized and one in four girls has attempted suicide at least once, mainly at the start of prostitution.

The profile of pimps is predominantly male and young between 14 and 25 years old, and clients are exclusively men (14 to 60 years old). For one in four minor victims of procuring, it is the one she perceived as her boyfriend who prostituted her. Finally, according to the survey, the prostitution of minors is hardly penalized. Only 3% of pimps have been convicted. To curb this growing phenomenon, a national plan to combat underage prostitution was launched on November 15 by the government.