According to the report, nearly 400 million children under five regularly endure psychological aggression and physical punishment at home.
Figures released by the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, ahead of International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October, estimate that more than 370 million girls and women alive today, or one in eight, experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18.
When ‘non-contact’ forms of sexual violence, such as online or verbal abuse are included, the number of girls and women affected rises to 650 million, according to UNICEF.
Harrowing figures: