Minors were involved in half of the 75 cases of sexual assault reported to the police this year.

By the end of September, nine reports of rape, four of sexual activity with minors, 25 of violent indecent assault, 19 of defilement of minors and 18 of indecent exposure were filed, according to figures obtained from the police.

Thirty-eight of the victims were minors - 28 girls and 10 boys. The majority of the victims – 66 – were women, 34 of whom were Maltese and the rest of various nationalities including British, French, German, Swedish and Bulgarian.

Ten of the reported cases occurred in St Julian’s, where most of the reports were made, which has been the case over the years.

Only last month, a Dutchman was charged with violent indecent assault on an 18-year-old Maltese girl who was reportedly walking back home from Paceville on October 16 at about 4am.

The court heard that the girl was thrown to the ground and had her clothes ripped off before she managed to escape.

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