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Children: Abuse

Volume 488: debated on Tuesday 3 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions for child abuse were made in the years ended March (a) 2004, (b) 2005, (c) 2006, (d) 2007 and (e) 2008. (256394)

The number of persons aged 18 and over proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to child abuse from 2003 to 2007 in England and Wales is shown in the following table. As there is no specific offence of “child abuse” statistics are provided only where the age of the victim can be identified as a child from the description of the offence. Furthermore the term “child abuse” describes harm caused to a child arising from emotional. physical, sexual abuse or neglect caused by a parent or carer. A number of other offences such as offences against the person including physical assault may frequently be used by the police to charge offenders.

These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.

Number of defendants aged 18 and over proceeded against at all courts for offences relating to child abuse in England and Wales, 2004-071, 2, 3, 4

Proceeded against

Statute

Offence description

2004

2005

2006

2007

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 S.5

Causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person.

2

3

9

Children and Young Persons Act 1933 Sec 1.

Cruelty to or neglect of children.

915

827

780

762

Offences against the Person Act 1861 Sec 27.

Abandoning children under 2 years.

4

4

4

2

Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1

Rape of a female aged under 16.

790

669

601

509

Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1

Rape of a male aged under 16.

57

58

46

47

Sexual Offences Act 2003 S. 5

Rape of a female child under 13 by a male

34

112

126

142

Sexual Offences Act 2003 S. 5

Rape of a male child under 13 by a male

8

15

24

23

Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.7

Sexual assault on a female child under 13

91

302

325

383

Sexual Offences Act 2003—S.8(1)(2)(3), S.9(1)(a)(b)(c)(ii),(2),(3), S.10(1)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii),(2),(3).

Sexual activity involving a child

89

289

299

299

Sexual Offences Act 2003S.16(1)(e)(i)(ii),(2)-(5), S.17(1)(e)(i)(ii),(2)-(5), S.18(1)(f)(ii),(2)-(5).

Abuse of a position of trust: Sexual activity with children

4

11

18

16

Total

1,992

2,289

2,226

2,192

1 These data are on the principal offence basis.

2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete.

However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces.

As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

3 Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 S.5 came into force on 21 March 2005.

4 The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004.

Source:

OCJR—E and A: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit