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Vienna, Sep 17 (EFE).- Nearly one in three intersex people in Europe say they have suffered physical or sexual violence in the past five years, according to a new survey by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA).
The highest rates were recorded in Austria (45 percent) and Spain (42 percent), well above the EU average of 32 percent. The chart is followed by Ireland (41 percent).
The lowest rates were reported in Finland (28 percent) and Czechia (25 percent), excluding countries with smaller and statistically less reliable samples such as Cyprus, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, and Belgium.
The survey reveals marked differences in violent victimisation across intersex SOGIESC subgroups.
In the past five years, the highest rates were reported by intersex trans men (44percent) and intersex trans women (42 percent), followed by non-binary and gender-diverse intersex respondents (38 percent). Cisgender intersex women and men reported comparatively lower rates, at 26–27 percent.
When broken down by sexual orientation, the rates are more evenly spread, ranging from 27 percent among bisexual respondents to 39 percent among gay respondents.
A more detailed breakdown by SOGIESC shows that certain groups faced particularly high levels of violence in the past five years.
Fifty-eight percent of non-binary and gender-diverse gay intersex respondents, 44 percent of pansexual intersex trans women and trans men, and 30 percent of trans lesbian intersex respondents reported such experiences.
The report also found major gaps between experiences of abuse and reporting rates. Many intersex people across Europe avoid turning to the police, fearing homophobic or transphobic reactions.
Despite the high levels of violence, Spain stood out for comparatively higher trust in institutions: 58 percent of respondents there said their government combats intolerance effectively, against a community average of just 29 percent.
At the same time, 51 percent of Spanish respondents felt intolerance had worsened over the past five years, blaming political rhetoric more than legal changes.
Harassment was also widespread. Two-thirds of intersex people in Europe said they had been targeted, rising to 78 percent in Spain, which ranked fifth overall.
The FRA stressed that intersexuality, natural variations in sex characteristics such as anatomy, hormones or chromosomes, is distinct from gender identity or sexual orientation.
It estimates that around 0.02percent of the EU population, or roughly 90,000 people, are intersex.
Several EU countries, including Spain, have adopted pioneering legislation. Spain is among five states that ban non-consensual genital modifications on minors, seven that include sexual characteristics in anti-discrimination laws, and eight that prohibit conversion therapies. EFE
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