Most Prevalent Recorded Sexual Offences in England and Wales, Revealed by Home Office Data
Umar Zeb, Senior Partner at JD Spicer Zeb Solicitors, uncovers the most prevalent sexual offences in England and Wales in the last financial year.
Sexual violence in England and Wales, especially against women and girls, is an epidemic. Action Aid revealed that, in 2021, 1 in 3 women and girls over the age of 16 were subjected to at least one form of harassment. This figure increases to 2 in 3 for women aged between 16 and 34.
This abuse ranges from domestic violence, to catcalling in the street, all the way through to social media harassment and revenge porn.
Due to the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse in England and Wales, our researchers have investigated the areas where sexual crimes are the most prevalent. The study examined recorded sexual crimes from open data tables for the financial year 2021 – 2022. The data includes the number of cases and types of sexual offences in different police jurisdictions across England and Wales.
By analysing these offences and the frequency of which they occur, we can better understand the extent of the issue and the impact sexual violence has on our society.
Sexual Violence in the News
Recent news stories have covered several high-profile cases of sexual violence against women. One prevalent case revealed Stephen Bear’s voyeuristic and abusive behaviour towards his ex, Georgia Harrison, which involved the sharing of revenge porn online.
These cases have emphasised the importance of legislation, such as the Online Safety Bill, which aims to crack down on sexually exploitative pornography. This includes deep fakes and down blousing, as well as the sharing of misogynistic and hateful content online.
The police have also come under fire after a tidal wave of corruption allegations. The recent case involving serial rapist, PC David Carrick, alongside the prolific Sarah Everard case, has added to the string of corrupt police abusing positions of power. Many argue the problems lie within the institution.
A damning new report commissioned by the HMICFRS exposed a number of police failures and warned of a culture of systemic sexism and misogyny in the heart of the force.
False Allegations Do Play a Part
Most concerningly, recent statistics have revealed high rates of rape, with an increase of reporting in recent years. However, charging and conviction rates remain among the lowest since records began. This comes down to two main reasons:
- Sexual harassment and violence can be difficult to prove.
- False allegations.
In fact, there have been a number of news articles and studies reporting on false allegations of rape and sexual harassment. While research suggests that false allegations of sexual abuse and violence are relatively rare, with estimates ranging from 2% to 10% of reported cases, these allegations should also be taken seriously.
False allegations can be a complex and controversial issue, due to the very nature of the crime and the stigma these accusations can carry. In addition to this, it can be challenging to distinguish between false and true allegations, as well as the potential for biases in the reporting and investigation of cases.
That being said, these cases should not be used to dismiss or undermine the validity of genuine reports of sexual violence.
Here at JD Spicer Zeb, we recognise how sexual violence can cause severe physical and emotional harm to survivors. Such abuse often goes unreported for many reasons, including fear, humiliation, or a lack of trust in the criminal justice system.
Top recorded sexual offences in England and Wales
Our study examined the highest recorded sexual offences across all police jurisdictions in England and Wales. The results revealed that there was a total of 193,566 sexual offences reported in England and Wales, out of a total of 6,343,116 reported crimes. This makes up 3% of total reported crimes during the financial year of 2021-22.
Of these, the most rampant sexual offence reports, alongside the percentage of cases involving these crimes from the total sexual crimes, were:
- Rape of a female aged 16 and over: 23.82%
- Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over: 26.57%
- Sexual activity involving a child under 16: 7.14%
- Exposure and voyeurism: 6.44%
- Sexual assault on a female child under 13: 6.35%
These statistics reveal a shocking predisposition towards child sex offences in England and Wales. What’s more, figures are likely to be under-recorded due to reasons explained previously.
Top recorded sexual offences by police jurisdiction
The study delved further by examining specific police jurisdictions that cover a large portion of England, including the British Transport Police, Greater Manchester, London, and West Midlands. From this detail, we were able to ascertain the most common sexual offences in these jurisdictions:
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police (BTP) patrol stations and the rail network across England, Scotland, and Wales. This includes any train, tube, or tram service.
Recorded sexual offences in the British Transport Police district made up 0.84%
of all recorded sexual crimes in England and Wales during the 2021 – 2022 financial year. This equates to 1,620 sexual offences, out of a total of 49,503 crimes recorded by the BTP, which translates to 3%.
The research showed how widespread an issue sexual assault and violence are on British Public Transport. Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over accounted for 65.49% of all recorded sexual offences by the BTP.
It also showed that just over 1 in 5 recorded sexual offences were down to exposure and voyeurism, at 21.85%. Sexual assault on a male aged 13 and over was the third largest recorded category, at 6.30%.
Greater Manchester
The Greater Manchester police jurisdiction is home to approximately 2.8 million people, making it the second-largest city region in England and Wales.
Recorded sexual offences in the Greater Manchester police district made up 5.83%
of all recorded sexual crimes in England and Wales from the 2021 – 2022 financial year. This equates to 11,288 out of the total 193,566 sexual crimes recorded in this jurisdiction, which translates to 3%.
The data showed that the most common forms of sexual offences here include:
- Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over: 24.67%
- Rape of a female aged 16 and over: 22.07%
- Sexual assault on a female child under 13: 7.18%
London
London has two police jurisdictions, including The City of London and The Metropolitan Police. From the 2021 – 2022 financial year, recorded sexual offences in the City of London accounted for 0.06% of all recorded sexual crimes in England and Wales. This equates to 118 out of the total 6,305 crimes recorded in the City of London district, which translates to 2%.
In comparison, the Metropolitan police recorded sexual offences accounted for 12.96% of all recorded sexual crimes in England and Wales. This equates to 25,082 out of the total 830,796 crimes recorded in the Metropolitan district, which translates to 3%.
The City of London
The data showed that the most common forms of sexual offences in The City of London include:
- Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over: 53.39%
- Rape of a female aged 16 and over: 20.34%
- Exposure and voyeurism: 12.71%
The Metropolitan Police
The data showed that the most common forms of sexual offences for The Metropolitan Police include:
- Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over: 29.68%
- Rape of a female aged 16 and over: 26.25%
- Exposure and voyeurism: 11.18%
West Midlands
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in the West Midlands Region, England. The county has an estimated population of 2.9 million, making it the second most populous county in England after Greater London.
Recorded sexual offences in the West Midlands police district make up 5.89% of all recorded sexual crimes in England and Wales from the 2021 – 2022 financial year. This equates to 11,401 out of the total 361,649 crimes recorded in West Midlands, which translates to 3%.
The data showed that the most common forms of sexual offences for the West Midlands include:
- Sexual assault on a female aged 13 and over: 23.36%
- Rape of a female aged 16 and over: 29.06%
- Sexual activity involving a child under 13: 6.24%
Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse
Umar Zeb, Senior Partner at JD Spicer Zeb, said of the data:
“The prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse in England and Wales is alarming, and the recorded statistics only scratch the surface of this issue. Sadly, we know that many survivors do not report their experiences, either due to fear, lack of trust in the justice system, humiliation, or an ingrained victim-blaming notion and misogyny within our society.
"It is also important to acknowledge that false allegations of sexual harassment and assault do occur, despite the figures being relatively low. Due to this, we must approach recorded sexual crime figures with a nuanced understanding of the complexities of sexual violence, including the potential biases in reporting and the criminal justice system, as well as making sure that individuals who make false claims are held accountable.
“While these statistics can help identify trends and risk factors associated with sexual offences, we must also address the root causes of this epidemic of sexual violence including gender inequality, inadequate education on consent, and harmful cultural attitudes.
“We must listen to and amplify the voices of survivors, as well as challenge the attitudes and behaviours that enable sexual violence to proceed, especially within police institutions. Only then can we create a world where sexual harassment and abuse is no longer such a pervasive and widespread issue.”
Need legal help?
At JD Spicer Zeb, we are committed to using our legal expertise and experience to help clients navigate the complex and evolving landscape of sexual offences.
If you need legal advice or representation, JD Spicer Zeb is here to help. Call us on 0207 624 7771, or email solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk.
Data Sources and Methodology
The data for this study was sourced from the Police recorded crime open data tables, for the financial year 2021-2022, from GOV.UK.
Specifically, we looked at the total percentages of all recorded sexual offences in different police jurisdictions across England and Wales.
When analysing the data and looking for trends, it’s important to consider the context, scope and limitations of police recorded crime figures (PRC).
PRC figures can be significantly impacted by changes in policy and practice, as well as unrecorded crime and dropped allegations.
Please keep in mind that, while the data was obtained from reputable sources, the interpretations are that of the JD Spicer Zeb researchers.
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