Some 21.7% of adult women in Spain, about 3.5 million, admit to having been victims of sexual abuse in their lives. This is according to data published on Wednesday 8 February by the Spanish Centre for Sociological Research (CIS).
The survey also shows that 35.1% of Spaniards personally know someone who has been a victim of sexual abuse in their family or circle of friends; 27.2% in their living environment and 17.5% at work or while studying.
Of respondents, 74% think that women who are sexually assaulted rarely (15.2%) or even never (59.2%) report this. Those who do report it wait too long to do so, according to 22.1% of respondents. And 37.5% wait a little, but not too long.
Why do victims often do not report the crime?
As for the reasons why they do not report the crime, 45.1% of respondents put fear of the aggressor in the first place. In addition, fear that the victim will not be believed is the second most important reason, at 22.1%. Shame is another common reason at 15.7%. In addition, 13.5% of respondents cited the emotional impact of the legal process as the second most important reason why victims hesitate to report the crime.
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