Group sexual offending in Spain: an exploratory study

Abstract

ABSTRACT⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Group sexual offending is a phenomenon that occurs in our society, but little research has actually been carried out to unravel the complexity of this type of crime. The present study explores the characteristics of cases related to group sexual offences in Spain from 2014 to 2018 using information appearing in the media. An analysis of more than 500 printed and digital media reports identified 111 registered cases involving 389 offenders and 123 victims. All information regarding the offenders, the victims and the offences was examined and showed that the average age of the offenders was 23.61 years, which was slightly higher than the average age of the victims, 19.45 years. The average size of the group of aggressors was found to be 3.54 individuals and two-thirds were of Spanish nationality. The crimes committed occurred at night and often during the weekend and predominately in indoor spaces.