Children continued to be victims of violence and abuse. The Voice of Ukraine newspaper reported that, in response to a January 2004 poll by the State Institute of Family and Youth, 43 percent of minors said that they had been victims of some form of violence. During 2003, 300 criminal cases were opened against parents for neglect of parental duties. The majority of complaints of abuse of children related to child prostitution, pornographic video sales, child molestation, and illegal child labor.

 

The commercial sexual exploitation of children remained a serious problem. According to domestic and foreign law enforcement officials, a significant portion of the child pornography available on the Internet continued to originate in Ukraine.

 

Ukraine is mainly a country of origin for women and girl trafficking victims.  They are trafficked for sexual purposes to Western and Central Europe, as well as to the Mediterranean region.  Ukraine is also a transit country for women trafficked from Russia, the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia to Western Europe. Street children of both sexes, some less than 7 years of age, prostitute themselves as a means of survival.

 

Research shows that of all those engaged in prostitution in the country, 11% are girls aged between 12 and 15, and 20% are aged 16 to 17. Furthermore, 18% of street children in Ukraine have been victims of sexual violence and sexual exploitation. A mere 10% of the

parents of children who run away from home actually try to find their children.