Sex offences up by a third in latest survey but true figure thought to be much higher
Sex crimes have risen 31 percent – the biggest annual increase ever, government figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released data on sex offenses in England and Wales based on research from the Crime Survey, police statistics and victim services.
Researchers found that for the year ending March 2022 there was a 31 percent increase from 147,835 to 193,566 police-recorded sex offenses compared to the previous year. It marks the largest annual increase in police-recorded numbers.
The number of registered sexual offenses has increased in the last ten years. However, the ONS warned that the death toll remains well below the survey’s estimated number of victims, which equates to an estimated 1.1 million adults.
“Police must prioritize sexual violence”
Jamie Klingler, an activist and co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, responded to the data by saying, “These numbers are all the more reason why every police force in the country must prioritize sexual violence and how we protect and protect victims.”
The figures follow the recent release of the Casey report on the Metropolitan Police, which concluded that the force was institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic.
The review said: “The Met has repeatedly said that violence against women and girls is a top priority for the organization. Those close to the ministry tell a different story.”
The ONS found that police recorded 152,741 sex offenses in 2018, 164,308 in 2019 and 163,244 in 2020.
The volume of sex crimes recorded by the police has increased over the past decade, although the numbers are well below estimates by the Crime Survey for England and Wales.
“A Significant Increase in Crime”
The ONS said the survey provides the best measure of victimization, and estimated that 2.3 percent of adults (3.3 percent women and 1.2 percent men) ages 16 and older were victims of sexual abuse in the most recent survey Assaults (including attempted ones) have been
This equates to an estimated 1.1 million adults (798,000 women and 275,000 men).
Helen Ross of the ONS Center for Crime and Justice said: “While our data from the Crime Census show no significant change in the prevalence of sexual assault compared to the time immediately prior to the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in sex crimes since 2014.
“This increase is in line with the increase in crime recorded by the police over the past decade, the latest figures for which are the highest on record. This could be partly caused by an increased number of victims willing to report both current and historical incidents.”