UN report shows 1 in 10 girls sexually abused worldwide

A UN report has found that slightly more than one in 10 girls have been raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 20, across the globe.

According to the report, about 120 million girls have been raped or sexually assaulted worldwide and 95,000 children and teenagers were murdered in 2012 alone, most of them in Latin America and the Caribbean, the BBC reported.

The UNICEF executive director, Anthony Lake, said that the violence cuts across boundaries of age, geography, religion, ethnicity and income brackets, as the data drawn from 190 countries has suggested that children around the globe are routinely exposed to violence, including bullying.

The study is shocking as it also found that about six out of 10 children aged between two and 14 were subjected to physical punishment at their homes, schools and communities, which are places where children should be safe, on a regular basis.

The BBC's Nick Bryant said that the report has produced a grim global audit of violence against children.