Is Europe Still Safe? Migrant Sex Crimes Surge While Children Face Arrest For Self-Defence

From the streets of Dundee to the courtrooms of Düsseldorf, Europe is grappling with a troubling wave of migrant-linked sex crime cases. In a shocking twist, it is often the victims, not the perpetrators, who find themselves punished.

The arrest of a 14-year-old Scottish girl for brandishing a knife in self-defence has sparked outrage and raised an unsettling question across the continent: is Europe still safe, or has justice turned against those it is meant to protect?

Teen Arrested After Standing Up to Alleged Attacker

In Dundee, police arrested a 14-year-old girl who pulled out a knife when confronted by a man near St Ann's Lane. Officers charged her with carrying a 'bladed weapon'.

The teenager insists she acted only to protect herself and a friend from a migrant man who was allegedly recording them. Campaigners online said she had been punished for survival, not for committing a crime.

One social media user wrote: 'She chose not to be raped by an invader, therefore, she was arrested by her own police.'

Her arrest has ignited a fierce debate in Britain. Critics ask whether the justice system is protecting young girls or leaving them exposed.

Convictions Surge

The controversy comes against a backdrop of rising convictions involving foreign nationals.

Ministry of Justice figures show convictions for sexual offences by foreign nationals jumped 62 per cent between 2021 and 2024, rising from 687 to 1,114. Convictions among British nationals increased by 39.3 per cent in the same period.

By 2024, one in seven convicted sex offenders in the UK was a foreign national. Campaigners say the figures confirm a troubling pattern of migrant-linked crimes that is fuelling anger and eroding public trust.

High-Profile Cases Across Europe

The statistics are matched by shocking cases that continue to make headlines.

In London, Kamran Khan, a Pakistani asylum seeker, is accused of repeatedly raping an eight-year-old girl over ten months. He pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial in early 2026.

In Düsseldorf, three men are on trial accused of raping a 19-year-old woman for several hours in a hotel room. Reports say she was left unconscious while the attack was filmed.

Reviews into grooming gangs in cities such as Newcastle and Glasgow have also identified foreign-born suspects, including men from Pakistan, Iraq and Egypt. Critics accuse authorities of downplaying the issue in order to preserve social harmony. Communities, however, say trust in law enforcement is being destroyed.

When Self-Defence Becomes a Crime

The most provocative element of the Dundee case is not the alleged assault itself but the police response.

By charging a teenager who says she acted in self-defence, authorities risk sending the message that resisting attack can lead to prosecution while attackers walk free.

Police supporters argue that the law must be applied consistently and that carrying knives, even in fear, increases the risk of violence. Victims' rights groups counter that this ignores the lived reality of many young women who feel abandoned by the institutions meant to protect them.

Fear and Perception

Rising reports of sexual violence linked to migrant populations do not prove a continent-wide crime wave. Crime levels vary by country and are shaped by poverty, integration problems and policing.

But perception matters. The Dundee arrest, combined with high-profile trials in Britain and Germany and the sharp rise in convictions, has left many citizens feeling unsafe. Governments are now under pressure to prove that justice will be fairly applied.

As one rights advocate explained: 'Safety is not only about statistics, it is about whether ordinary people feel the system will protect them. Right now, many don't.'

Europe's Challenge

So, is Europe still safe? Statistically, most residents are unlikely to become victims of sexual violence by migrants. Yet the headlines tell a darker story: children arrested for self-defence, women left traumatised, courtrooms filled with harrowing testimony.

The challenge for Europe is to restore public trust. It must protect the vulnerable without criminalising them, confront crimes without fuelling prejudice, and ensure justice is seen to be done.

Until then, for many young women, the question of safety remains painfully open.

Originally published on IBTimes UK