Data relating to the number of prosecutions and convictions for sexual intercourse with an underage person are not collected. It is only possible to provide information for those offences which, by their definition, identify a child as the victim of buggery and unlawful carnal knowledge.
Table 1 gives the number of prosecutions and convictions for buggery and unlawful carnal knowledge offences by District Command Unit for the calendar years 2003 to 2005.
Due to small numbers of prosecutions and convictions in each District Command Unit, the average length of those sentenced to immediate custody has not been provided for individual District Command Units. Tables 2 to 4 document the total number prosecuted and convicted, the number and percentage sentenced to immediate custody and the average sentence length in months for these offences in each of the three years.
Data are collated on the principal offence rule; thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
2003 2004 2005 Prosecuted Convicted Prosecuted Convicted Prosecuted Convicted Buggery Antrim 0 0 1 1 0 0 Ards 0 0 3 0 0 0 Belfast, East 0 0 1 1 0 0 Belfast, West 1 0 0 0 2 1 Ballymena 0 0 2 1 0 0 Ballymoney 0 0 1 1 0 0 Carrickfergus 1 1 0 0 0 0 Craigavon 0 0 0 0 1 0 Down 0 0 1 1 0 0 Fermanagh 0 0 1 0 0 0 Foyle 0 0 4 2 0 0 Lisburn 0 0 0 0 1 0 Newtownabbey 0 0 0 0 1 0 Total 2 1 14 7 5 1 Unlawful carnal knowledge Antrim 1 1 0 0 0 0 Belfast, East 0 0 1 1 0 0 Belfast, South 1 1 0 0 0 0 Craigavon 1 1 0 0 1 0 Ballymena 0 0 1 1 0 0 Down 1 1 0 0 0 0 Dungannon and South Tyrone 0 0 1 0 0 0 Larne 0 0 1 1 0 0 Limavady 1 1 0 0 1 1 Lisburn 0 0 1 1 0 0 Newtownabbey 0 0 0 0 2 2 North Down 0 0 0 0 1 1 Omagh 0 0 0 0 2 2 Strabane 0 0 1 1 1 1 Other UK addresses 1 1 1 1 0 0 Total 6 6 7 6 8 7 Overall total 8 7 21 13 13 8
Prosecuted Convicted Number given immediate custody Percentage given immediate custody Average sentence length (Months) Buggery 2 1 1 100 84 Unlawful carnal knowledge 6 6 1 17 60 Total 8 7 2 29 72
Prosecuted Convicted Number given immediate custody Percentage given immediate custody Average sentence length (Months) Buggery 14 7 5 71 90 Unlawful carnal knowledge 7 6 3 50 20 Total 21 13 8 62 64
Prosecuted Convicted Number given immediate custody Percentage given immediate custody Average sentence length (Months) Buggery 5 1 1 100 96 Unlawful carnal knowledge 8 7 3 43 17 Total 13 8 4 50 37 1 Buggery offences included here are ‘buggery with boy under 17 years’ and ‘buggery with a girl under 17 years’. 2 Unlawful carnal knowledge offences include ‘unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 14’ and ‘unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 17’. 3 Data are collated on the principal offence rule; thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included. 4 Data represent the total number of convictions and prosecutions for offences in Northern Ireland courts. In 2003 and 2004, there were offenders with other UK addresses. 5 Data in Table 1 are based on the police District Command Unit in which an offender’s address falls. Data are only included for those District Command Units which have convictions and prosecutions in the calendar years 2003 to 2005. 6 Data for 2005 are provisional.