Victims and offenders in 20% of sexual violence cases aged under 18

Almost all offenders in cases of sexual violence reported in 2019 were men (Niall Carson/PA)

One-fifth of sexual violence cases reported in 2019 involved both a victim and suspected offender aged under 18, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows.

The latest data on recorded crime suggests that in 19.6% of cases involving sexual violence, both the victim and the suspect were underage.