Diana Fawcett has warned of ‘alarming’ sex crime figures (Picture: Supplied)
Rapes recorded by police have hit a high – and contributed to a record 6.5million crime reports in total for England and Wales.
After sexual offences fell in the pandemic, the Office for National Statistics saw ‘substantial increases’.
‘This huge increase in sexual violence, in particular rape, reported to the police is seriously alarming and a stark reminder that the government needs to get a grip on staggeringly low conviction rates and horrendous court delays,’ said Diana Fawcett, of Victim Support. ‘Things simply can’t go on like this – women deserve better.’
The 196,889 sex offences in the year to June were up 20 per cent year-on -year. Rapes reports have nearly doubled in six years, to a high of 70,600, as domestic abuse cases rose to 912,181.
They made up part of 6.5million total crimes recorded in the period – the most since records began in 2002, and up 12 per cent on a year before.
High-profile cases might have affected people’s willingness to report sex crimes, said the ONS – but the figures may also reflect ‘a potential increase in the number of victims’.
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The rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Met officer Wayne Couzens led an ‘infuriated’ Boris Johnson to say violence against women and girls was not taken seriously enough last year. The force vowed to make streets safer.
Some 2.1million violent crimes were also recorded, up 13 per cent.
Knife crime rose – but stayed below pre-pandemic levels.
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‘This huge increase in sexual violence, in particular rape, reported to the police is seriously alarming.’