Recording of sexual offences against children increases

Photo: Jon Challicom

Recording of sexual offences against children increases

The number of sexual offences against children recorded by police in England and Wales soared by more than a third last year (2013-14). The figures are revealed today as the NSPCC launches its third state of the nation annual report How Safe Are Our Children? at the charity’s annual conference in London.

Nationally, a total of 31,238 offences – 85 a day – including rape, sexual assault and grooming, were reported to police. The majority of victims were aged 12 to 16, although more than one in four (8,282) were younger than eleven. Among these were 2,895 aged five and under – including 94 babies.2 In 2012-13 there were 22,654 offences against children under -18 recorded by 41 police forces across the UK.

Latest figures from Greater Manchester Police show there has been a 111% increase in recorded sex offences against children from 864 in 2012-13 to 1,825 last year (2013-14)

It’s not clear why the number of offences has risen so dramatically. Greater awareness may be giving more victims the courage to come forward, including those reporting historical cases, or police forces have improved their recording methods. Last year, the NSPCC helpline received over 320 contacts from people across the Greater Manchester Police Force Area about sexual abuse, over 200 of which were so serious that they were referred on immediately to the police or children’s services3.

However, what it does mean, is that more children are speaking out, only to find little support to help them recover from abuse.

Last year the NSPCC helped 2,400 young victims through its therapeutic recovery programmes, including those programmes offered from the charity’s service centre in Manchester, but there are not enough services available across the UK to ensure all children who have experienced abuse get the support they need.

NSPCC Chief Executive Peter Wanless said: “These figures are disturbing and clearly illustrate child sexual abuse is a continuing and widespread problem that needs urgent action. But we know this is still only a fraction of the true number of victims because some endure an agonising wait of many years before telling anyone – and others never reveal what has happened to them.

“It’s time to throw down the gauntlet to government which has to ensure all sexual abuse victims get specialist treatment to help them recover. By the end of this current Parliament there should be no children living in the shadow of abuse.”