23 January 2009
By Julie Read
The NSPCC has highlighted what it says is a serious gap in official data collection over child sex offences.
The Home Office compiles general figures on all sex offences, published in the annual crime report, but does not list age breakdowns of the victims.
But research by the NSPCC, compiled directly from 42 of 43 police authorities in England and Wales — Greater Manchester declined to take part — showed there were around 50 recorded sex offences against children every day in 2007/08.
NSPCC director of public policy Phillip Noyes said: 'These shocking figures reveal just how young many of the reported victims of sex abuse are, with even one-year-olds being at risk, although the highest numbers of offences were against children in their early teens.'
The NSPCC urged the government to collect and publish annual data from police forces showing the number and ages of victims, and to clearly link this with the number of convictions resulting from the recorded offences.
Noyes said: 'If we are able to get these details every year, it will start to build a more accurate picture of what is happening.'
The Home Office said that it would talk to the NSPCC about its concerns.
PFjan2009
