Monaco’s 2024 report on violence against women, compiled by IMSEE, paints a troubling picture. While the number of cases reported to the police and other authorities declined compared to the previous year, there was a rise in women citing sexual abuse, hospitalisations, and requests for support from the Victims of Criminal Offences Help Association (AVIP).

Data collected by IMSEE, the Principality’s statistics agency, throughout 2024 highlights a worrying increase in reported sexual attacks on women in Monaco.

Of the 60 reports of violence recorded by the Monaco Police Department last year—a decrease from the 68 recorded in 2023—sexual violence, including rape, accounted for over a quarter of all cases, marking a considerable rise from the previous year. Physical violence, meanwhile, made up half of all reported cases.

Police reports indicate that more than three-quarters of perpetrators were known to the victims, with nearly a third involving spouses or ex-spouses. The average age of victims was 35, while perpetrators averaged 44.

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The Prosecutor General’s Office opened 32 legal proceedings in assault cases, primarily involving physical violence (58%), sexual violence (26%), and harassment (16%). Four convictions have been handed down thus far, while six cases were dismissed. According to the IMSEE report, “Of 35 cases opened in 2023, eight convictions have been handed down, and 13 cases have been dismissed.”

Further concerning statistics were recorded at the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace, which admitted 150 women who reported suffering acts of violence in 2024, an increase from 146 in 2023. Most incidents involved physical violence (74%), followed by psychological (25%) and sexual violence (6%). 39 of these women were Monaco residents.

An essential support system

The Association for Assistance to Victims of Criminal Offenses (AVIP) was contacted by 45 female victims, with 38 reporting incidents that occurred in 2024, up from 41 and 27 in 2023.

Psychological violence was the most reported (51%) form of abuse, followed by physical violence (44%) and harassment (33%). Incidents of economic (31%) and sexual violence (18%) were also noted. Most victims were Monaco residents, with an average age of 43.

The Social Action and Assistance Directorate reported six cases of violence in 2024, including five involving spouses or ex-spouses. Psychological and economic violence, as well as harassment, were prevalent.

In 2024, three men came forward to report abuses by their partner or ex-partner during the year.

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