February 7, 2023
Boise–The Office of the Attorney General has released its annual report on child sexual abuse in the state of Idaho, covering the twelve-month period from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023. The 16-page document includes statistics on the types of crimes committed, the judicial district in which they were committed, and the types of penalties imposed.
In a joint letter accompanying the report, Governor Brad Little and Attorney General Raúl Labrador wrote:
With this letter, we submit the annual report for Fiscal Year 2022 on the prosecution of child sexual abuse in Idaho. During FY2022, there were 785 reported incidents of child sexual abuse in Idaho. This is 16 reported incidents (or 2%) less than FY2021. Additionally, the 1,043 child sexual abuse cases filed by prosecutors in Idaho in FY2022 was ten cases more than FY2021.
We do not know whether these high numbers can be attributed to Idaho’s growing population, whether societal factors are somehow contributing to more sexual abuse of children, or whether there are other factors of which we are not aware. Regardless of why this problem exists, this report demonstrates that it is not going away and that efforts to address it have been only partially successful.
Our efforts to stop child sexual abuse must continue, and we must continue to dedicate ourselves and our resources to combating this problem. Our efforts must start in the home, but they must also include the extended family, churches, schools, community associations and law enforcement. As to the latter, we must provide adequate funding, training and equipment for our law enforcement officers and prosecutors who are on the front lines of the battle against child sexual abuse. Idaho’s children deserve no less.
The entire report can be read here.
