Content_paragraphs:  The country task force verified the cases of 763 children, including three boys, 
  
  who were raped (654), gang-raped (32) and subjected to sexual slavery (63) or other 
  
  https://undocs.org/en/S/2018/502
  
  
   
  S/2020/1030 
  
   
  
  9/16 20-13818 
  
   
  
  forms of sexual violence (14). There was a surge in violations in 2018 (394) compared 
  
  to 2017 (181) (see S/2018/502), before decreasing to 300 in 2019 and to 69 in the first 
  
  quarter of 2020. Ongoing insecurity and conflict, ethnically motivated violence, the 
  
  widespread presence of military actors in communities and the constant rotation of 
  
  FARDC troops, contributed to these high numbers. Out of 763 children, 313 (41 per 
  
  cent) were girls under the age of 15, and the youngest victim was a 3-year-old. Despite 
  
  the high number of verified cases, the scale of sexual violence against children is 
  
  believed to be underreported owing to fear of retaliation by perpetrators who 
  
  sometimes live in or near the community, stigmatization and rejection by families and 
  
  communities, widespread impunity and a lack of adequate medical and support 
  
  services for survivors.