Chile's Defensoría de la Niñez will release its Annual Diagnosis on the Situation of Children's and Adolescents' Rights 2026 on Thursday, reporting a 46.4% increase in sexual violence victims and a 137% rise in hospital discharges for self-inflicted injuries. The report points to ongoing risks in mental health, school coexistence, and specialized protection for over 4 million children and adolescents. Anuar Quesille, the Child Ombudsperson, calls it a 'national alert'.
Chile's Defensoría de la Niñez will release its third Annual Diagnosis on the Situation of Children's and Adolescents' Rights 2026 on Thursday, prepared by its Rights Observatory. The report identifies troubling trends, including a 46.4% rise in sexual violence victims and a 73% increase in sexual exploitation cases. It also notes 159,776 children and adolescents registered as rights violation victims by Carabineros de Chile, with a 35% increase in court-issued protection measures.
Mental health shows critical signals post-pandemic, with hospital discharges for self-inflicted injuries up 137%. Anuar Quesille, the Child Ombudsperson, stated: “This diagnosis is a national alert. The data show that [...] children, adolescents continue facing grave risks in mental health, sexual violence, school coexistence, digital environments, and specialized protection”.
Positive developments include a 78% drop in hospital discharges for pregnancy and birth among 15- to 17-year-olds, a 13% poverty reduction for ages 4-17 and 14% for 0-3, and food insecurity falling from 43% to 17.5% between 2022 and 2024.
In education, the Superintendencia de Educación logged 17,076 school coexistence complaints in 2025, up 22.1% from 2024. The protection system is strained: 41,557 children on waitlists in 2025 and residential overcrowding rising from 22% to 41% between 2019 and 2024. Quesille added: “Chile needs to update its public policies and respond with greater timeliness, priority, and resources”.
