AN ALARMING 39 per cent increase in rapes has sent police-recorded crime to
the highest levels for over a decade.
Official figures yesterday sparked outcry after revealing sex offences hit
nearly 100,000 in the year to September 2015.
The Office for National Statistics said there were a staggering 33,431 rapes –
equivalent to 91 a day and the highest since current records began in 2003.
Labour immediately accused the Government of “letting the British people
down”.
A breakdown released by the ONS showed there were 8,900 recorded rapes between
July and September last year. This compares with 7,100 in the three months
the 12 months before.
Critically, the ONS said much of the increase was down to “current offences”
rather than a greater willingness of victims to come forward reporting
historical attacks following high profile celebrity investigations.
The ONS said: “Analysis of records from the Home Office indicates that both
current and historical offences continued to rise in the year ending
September 2015.
“However the major volume contribution to this increase comes from current
offences.”
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The surge was enough to push overall recorded crime up by 6 per cent to 4.3
million offences – the biggest rise since 2001-2002.
Homicides rose 14 per cent, gun crime rose by 4 per cent and knife crime
jumped by 9 per cent. There were 99,609 sexual offences, including 33,431
rapes and 66,178 other sex offences.
The figures come amid an outcry in Europe over New Year’s sex attacks in
German cities such as Cologne, which were blamed on the flood of refugees
from the Middle East and Africa.
The ONS figures – which cover the 43 police forces in England and Wales – did
not provide details of arrests or nationality.
Labour’s shadow police minister Jack Dromey said: “The Tories have slashed
police officers by 17,000 and broke their promise to the public to protect
frontline officer numbers.
“Now we see the biggest increase in recorded crime for a decade.
“The first duty of any Government is the safety and security of our citizens.
“By overseeing the sharpest decline in police numbers anywhere in the EU, the
Tories are letting the British people down.”
Police Minister Mike Penning insisted the rise was down to an improvement in
“recording practices” by police and more victims coming forward.
He added: “The Government has made reducing violence, including knife crime, a
priority and continues to work closely with the police and other
organisations to tackle the drivers of these crimes.”
