Japanese soldiers forced girls as young as 12 into sexual slavery during and after World War II, according to a report by two Chinese legal groups.
The report released late Monday by the All China Lawyers Association and China Legal Aid Foundation, comes as Japan faces increased pressure from the United States to further apologize for sending women to work in wartime brothels.

The legal groups said they located 17 women who were forced to work as 'comfort women' _ a euphemism for sex slaves _ including one who was only 12 at the time. Fourteen were under the age of 18 when they 'suffered repeated sexual violence,' the report said.

The groups did not say why the study was carried out now. The All-China Lawyers Association is the national umbrella group for government-sanctioned lawyers' groups.