In England and Wales, the number of sexual offenses reported to the police has increased to an all-time high.
The police recorded 199,021 sex offences in the year ending in September 2022.
According to the Office for National Statistics, this represents an increase of 22% when compared to the year ending March 2020 (163,244), which was before the coronavirus epidemic (ONS).
The numbers, which were released on Thursday, also reveal that the total number of crimes reported to English and Welsh police agencies was higher than it was prior to the pandemic.
They soared to 6.6 million in the year leading up to September.
This was 10% more than the 6.1 million offenses that were reported in the year leading up to March 2020.
The data on sexual offenses should be interpreted with “caution,” according to the ONS, as they may be impacted by a “variety of circumstances.”
As a result of high-profile instances and campaigns, the police have made improvements to how they record crimes, and victims are now more eager to come forward and report incidents.
Following the Metropolitan Police’s David Carrick rape incident, every police force in England received a warning to track down sexual offenders and ensure that no staff members had “slipped through the net.”
Carrick, 48, who was referred to by coworkers as “B***ard Dave,” admitted to 80 sexual offenses, including 48 rapes, between 2003 and 2020 while working for the force.
In March 2020, while Sarah Everard was returning from a friend’s house in Clapham, he abducted, raped, and killed her.
To help find anyone who may have “slipped through the net” before vetting requirements were tightened, the National Police Chiefs’ Council is planning to encourage all forces to check their officers against national police databases.
“While police-recorded sexual offenses are the highest yearly figures ever for England and Wales, the crime survey reveals no substantial rise in prevalence,” said Meghan Elkin from the ONS.
The willingness to report is one of several elements that affect the police statistics.
Additionally, we can observe that 22% of all sexual offenses reported last year in forces where data is available occurred more than a year before the incident was recorded.
“These numbers are scary,” said Christine Jardine, MP for the Liberal Democrats and spokesperson for women and equality. It is necessary to starve the culture of the resources that are feeding the catastrophic violence against women and girls. Police and the legal system must safeguard survivors and support their claims as sexual offenses rise. They may accomplish this by providing the police with greater training and resources, allowing survivors to be heard and supported, and making sure that perpetrators are held accountable.
Diana Fawcett, chief executive of the nonprofit Victim Support, stated, “This enormous increase in reported sexual offenses occurs at a time when the percentage of cases receiving justice has plunged to an appalling new low.
“For the past six years, charges for rape and sexual offenses have been significantly declining; the system is in danger.” We are headed in the direction of completely eroding victims’ faith in the criminal justice system.
“Police and the CPS have a duty to survivors who have gone through traumatic experiences that have changed their lives; they must improve and begin providing justice.”
At least 16 Metropolitan Police officers have been found guilty of crimes since the death of Sarah Everard, the vast majority of which included sexual offenses or violence against women.
One 22-year-old Met Police officer who admitted to having sex with a 14-year-old schoolgirl and to owning pornographic photos of toddlers is in danger of going to prison.
PC Hussain Chehab entered a plea of guilty to three counts of taking indecent pictures of minors, one count of having intercourse with a child, and four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.
The CEO of Rape Crisis, Jayne Butler, stated that it is good that more victims and survivors of sexual violence and abuse are coming forward to seek help and criminal justice because the vast majority of rapes and sexual assaults go unreported to the police.
“An increase in reports doesn’t always indicate that there are more sexual offenses being committed.”
It may be a result of the gradual rise in the number of survivors who are prepared to seek criminal justice, the increasing number of adult victims of child sexual abuse who are coming forward, and potential adjustments to the way the police record crimes.
We do know, however, that there is still a significant prevalence of sexual violence, and as a result, there is an unprecedented demand for specialized support services.
The fact that 14,000 survivors are now on waiting lists for services related to the Rape Crisis highlights the critical need for long-term, sustainable funding.
We also understand that a spike in reports does not necessarily translate into more victims getting justice.
According to Home Office statistics, only one reported rape out of every hundred leads to a charge.
Because the existing rates are too low, there must be a considerable increase in sexual offense reports, charges, and convictions. Without it, rape justice will not be served.
