Police take sex crimes "extremely seriously" as prosecutions increase

Alleged sex crimes and domestic abuse now made up nearly 20 per cent of the organisation's caseload in 2016-17 - compared with less than a tenth a decade ago after a huge surge in the categories, new figures show.

The spike tallies with a sharp jump in reports of sexual abuse to police seen in recent years in the wake of high-profile investigations launched after the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Authorities are also mounting increasing numbers of investigations involving the internet, including child sexual abuse, harassment and revenge pornography cases.

An in-depth report from the CPS details how more defendants than ever before are being prosecuted for sexual offences in England and Wales.

Nationally, the number of rape prosecutions completed rose from 4,643 in 2015-16 to a record 5,190 in 2016-17.

Prosecutions for sexual offences excluding rape also reached a new peak of 13,490 in the latest financial year.

Together with domestic abuse cases, the alleged crimes made up 19.3 per cent of the CPS's caseload, compared with 7.1 per cent a decade ago.

Across the West Mercia Police force area, which covers Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, last year there were 1,722 successful convictions for violence against women and girls, with 467 crimes unsuccessfully prosecuted.

For domestic assault, convictions were at 1.552, with 351 unsuccessful prosecutions.

For rape, 85 crimes were successfully prosecuted, with a further 50 crimes taking place where there were no convictions.

And for sexual offences 285 were successfully prosecuted, with a further 66 crimes that were not.

Now, police officers, and the Police and Crime Commissioner, say West Mercia Police urge victims to come forward to continue to ensure that perpetrators are punished for these crimes.

West Mercia Police Superintendent Tom Harding said: "We take all allegations of sexual offences and domestic violence extremely seriously and welcome the figures from the CPS showing the significant increases in convictions for these offences over the past decade.

"We will always seek to investigate these matters thoroughly and professionally while providing specialist support to the victims, and to provide the CPS with all of the available evidence.

"We have seen an increase seen in the number of reported rapes and sexual offences in recent years, which historically have often been under-reported.

"This increase is in line with national statistics, improvements in the way police record crimes of this nature, and the increase of reports of non-recent sexual abuse and high profile investigations. Although crimes of this nature have a significant impact on victims, the increase may also reflect a positive increase in the confidence of victims coming forward to West Mercia Police. It is also worth noting that we have dedicated child sexual exploitation policing teams in place, who with our partners, focus solely on protecting children from harm and bringing offenders to justice.

He added: "Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence or of domestic violence can be reassured that they can report what has happened and they will be taken seriously and supported throughout the investigation. A team of specially trained officers will help victims with care and sensitivity and will work to get the right result for the victim with their wishes in mind."

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said “The rate of successful convictions for cases involving violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual offences is consistently above the national average, which is testament to the hard work and professionalism of West Mercia Police, working with the Crown Prosecution Service to secure evidence and bring offenders to justice.

I am reassured, that West Mercia Police take all allegations seriously, and are delivering the high level of service and support which victims should expect. I also commission a number of services including Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) which further help victims to cope and recover. The increase in reporting shows public confidence in the police is increasing, and our communities should be assured, that this remains a priority for West Mercia Police.”

Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence and doesn’t feel comfortable coming forward to police can also access support from Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) who offer support and guidance. The Glade provides a service of care to women and men who have been raped or sexually assaulted in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. For more information call 0808 178 2058 or visit www.theglade.org.uk

West Mercia Police runs an awareness campaign, Stop Rape Now, which aims to raise awareness of issues around sexual consent. The campaign reinforces the message that consent is required each and every time sexual activity occurs and any kind of sexual activity without the person's consent is an offence. Further information is available at www.stoprapenow.co.uk