Domestic violence and child abuse is on the increase in Portugal, partially in the Algarve and Lisbon, according to a statement this week from the Victim Support Association (AS AV).
They say that between 2022 and 2025 a total of 13,039 children and young people were supported by the organisation. This was a 52.4% increase over the same previous period.
APAV reports that on average it has supported 272 children and young victims per month, the equivalent of 63 per week and nine per day.
Violence and other Crimes against young people numbered 23,935 during these four years, reflecting a stark overall rise.
The number of crimes recorded in the Algarve was 24.4%, followed by Lisbon (14.5%) and Braga (10.2%).
The organisation’s statists show that domestic violence accounted for 61.7% of cases, followed by sexual crimes at 31.8% and other forms of violence at 6.5%.
APAV emphasised an increase in reported child sexual abuse cases from 390 in 2022 to 864 in 2025 - an increase of 121.5%.
The data also shows that most victims are girls, but boys accounted for 39.9% of cases. The highest number of cases recorded was among children aged 11 to 14 (30.9%), followed by those aged six to 10 (26.9%), children up to five years old (20.3%) and young people aged 15 to 17 (21.9%).
The identified offenders were mostly parents (39.6%) other family members or family friends. Most were men (61.9%).
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