Sex Crime Stats 2010/11

Crime statistics on sex offences

• 17,727 sexual crimes against children under 16 were recorded in England and Wales in 2010/11.
• 32% of all sexual crimes (54,982 sexual crimes in total) recorded in England and Wales in 2010/11 were sexual crimes against children under 16.

• In 2010/11 the police in England and Wales recorded: 

• 5,115 offences of rape of a female child under 16
• 918 offences of rape of a male child under 16
• 4,301 offences of sexual assault on a female child under 13
• 1,125 offences of sexual assault on a male child under 13
• 5,806 offences of sexual activity involving a child under 16
• 152 offences of abuse of children through prostitution and pornography
• 310 offences of sexual grooming.

• In 2010/11 the police in England and Wales also recorded 146 offences of abuse of a position of trust involving a child under 18.
• More than one third (38%) of all rapes recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2010/11 were committed against children under 16 years of age.

From: Chaplin, Rupert, Faltley, John and Smith, Kevin (eds.) (2011) Table 2.04.  In: Crime in England and Wales 2010/11: findings from the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime (PDF). London: National Statistics. p.43.

• Police recorded over 23,000 sex offences against children aged under 18 years in England and Wales between April 2010 and March 2011.

From: Information obtained by NSPCC from all 43 police forces in England and Wales under the Freedom of Information Act. See: NSPCC (2012) Figures obtained by the NSPCC reveal sixty child sex offences a day. NSPCC press release 4 April 2012. London: NSPCC.

Around 21% of girls and 11% of boys experience some form of child sexual abuse. 23% of women and 3% of men experience sexual assault as an adult. 5% of women and 0.4% of men experience rape. (Cross Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/ Sexual-violence-action-plan)