France, April 10 -- The data, released on Friday by the National Observatory on Violence Against Women, show 416 minors were victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and 288 were victims of prostitution last year.

Girls accounted for 94 percent of the 704 victims identified.

Officials say the total - up from 659 in 2024 - shows a sustained upward trend. Between 2021 and 2025, the increase amounted to 43 percent, according to an annual report on the prostitution system in France by Miprof, the government's unit for the protection of women and the fight against human trafficking.

These young people "come from all walks of life", a source familiar with the issue told news agency AFP. "The majority of them have p...