Child advocate: 10 percent of Europe's kids are victims of abuse

One in ten children in Europe are abused during their childhood. This abuse affects their entire life by giving them an increased risk of poor school performance, unemployment, poverty and health problems. This is according to the European Ombudsmen for Children based on their own research, NOS reports. They will be presenting their findings at a meeting in Amsterdam on Tuesday. A total of 41 ombudsmen from 33 countries are participating in this meeting. Their report also includes measures that could reduce the number of victims by more than a quarter. These measures include, among other things, encouraging positive parenting, training professionals to recognize abuse and better treatment of victims. According to the Ombudsmen, an effective approach is not only important to the victims, but also to society - each euro invested in an better approach, saves 19 euros on medical care and criminal charges. "We see it as one of the greatest child right violations in Europe", Dutch children's ombudsman Marc Dullaert said to the broadcaster on child abuse. "Not only because of its size, but also by its impact."