Sexual abuse of children

Adults and young people aged 14 and over are liable to prosecution if they perform sexual acts on girls or boys under the age of 14 or have them performed on them.

Sexual abuse begins with sexual assaults such as insults and ranges from sexualized language and touching in the genital area to aggressive sexual violence. However, showing or sharing pornographic images or exposing genitals and manipulating genitals are also acts of abuse according to the German Criminal Code if an adult or adolescent acts with or in front of a child. Such acts are also punishable if the child appears to have given consent.

Sexual abuse of young people is prosecuted if the sexual acts are carried out by persons on whom the young person is dependent, such as in the family, at school, in church, in sport or at the place of training.

Find help quickly

The following websites provide detailed information on the criminal offence of sexual abuse of children, the actions of perpetrators, recognizable signs and what to do if abuse is suspected, the rights and entitlements of particularly vulnerable children and offers of help and support.

The Ministry of Education provides information for teachers, head teachers and other school employees on the subject of sexualized violence at school on the North Rhine-Westphalia education portal.