HL Deb 21 January 1997 vol 577 cc52-6WA

Lord Hylton asked Her Majesty's Government:

In each of the last five years, how many persons have been charged in the United Kingdom with sexual offences against minors, and how many have been convicted.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch)

The available information is given in the tables below.

Data are given separately for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In England and Wales detailed information on the number of persons charged is not collected centrally. The available information given shows cautions, prosecutions and convictions from 1991 to 1995, the latest available. It is not possible to identify all offences where the victim is aged under 16 years.

In Scotland the available information given shows persons proceeded against and persons with charges proved. Offences are not included where the age of the victim is not clear from the nature of the charge (for example, common law offences of rape, indecent assault, shameless indecency, etc.). Data for 1995 are not yet available.

In Northern Ireland detailed figures on the number of persons charged or cautioned are not available. The information given, from 1991 to 1995, shows the number of persons prosecuted and convicted for certain sexual offences where the victims are known to be aged under 17 years. Offences such as inciting a girl under 16 to commit incest and causing a girl under 17 to become a prostitute cannot be identified separately. A table is also given showing the number of victims, recorded by the police, of sexual offences aged under 17 years.

Table A: Number of persons cautioned for sexual offences involving children under 16, England and Wales 1991–1995
England and Wales
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 49 30 27 41 8
Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or animal 5 8 8 6 1
Buggery by a male of a male under 161 — — — — 2
Buggery by a male of a female under 161 — — — — 1
Indecent assault on a male person under 16 199 209 184 176 137
Rape on a female aged under 162 — — — — 5
Rape of a male aged under 162 — — — — —
Attempted rape of a female aged under 162 — — — — 2
Attempted rape of a male aged under 162 — — — — —
Indecent assault on a female person under 16 years 1,023 1.081 1.007 849 670
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 13 63 59 67 45 41
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 850 706 553 500 400
Incest with girl under 13 13 12 19 11 8
Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse — 5 — — —
Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 — 2 3 2 —
Person responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution — 1 — — 1
Abduction of unmarried girl under 16 3 3 3 5 2
Gross indecency with boys 41 46 56 49 28
Gross indecency with girls 40 52 45 36 30
Taking or making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children 10 10 7 6 18
1Buggery and attempted buggery offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 12 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec 143.
2Rape and attempted rape offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec I as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec 142.
— = Not available.

Table B: Number of persons prosecuted at magistrates' courts for sexual allence.so involving children under 16. England and Wales 1991–1995
England and Wales
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 300 329 294 345 125
Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or animal 24 27 15 21 6
Buggery by a male of a male under 161 — — — — 48
Buggery by a male of a female under 161 — — — — 25
Indecent assault on a male person under 16 522 457 432 449 400
Rape on a female aged under 162 — — — — 336
Rape of a male aged under 162 — — — — 18
Attempted rape of a female aged under 162 — — — — 32
Attempted rape of a male aged under 162 — — — — —
Indecent assault on a female person under 16 years 2,138 2.005 1,896 2,036 1.797
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 13 155 112 97 88 77
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 254 254 189 202 195
Incest with girl under 13 80 50 52 41 22
Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse 1 2 2 5 3
Household permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 3 9 8 — 4
Person responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution 2 — — 1 —
Abduction of unmarried girl under 16 20 24 13 27 11
Gross indecency with boys 117 131 102 87 62
Gross indecency with girls 122 130 155 129 109
Taking or making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children 40 46 42 40 53
1Buggery and attempted buggery offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 12 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec 143.
2Rape and attempted rape offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec I as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec 142.
— = Not available.

Table C: Number of persons convicted at all courts for sexual offences involving children under 16, England and Wales 1991–1995
England and Wales
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 168 163 136 135 86
Attempt to commit huggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or animal 26 17 20 16 14
Buggery by a male of a male under 162 — — — — 29
Buggery by a male of a female under 162 — — — — 7

Table C: Number of persons convicted1 at all courts for sexual offences involving children under 16, England and Wales 1991–1995
England and Wales
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Indecent assault on a male person under 16 351 363 293 324 339
Rape on a female aged under 163 — — — — 113
Rape of a male aged under 163 — — — — 2
Attempted rape of a female aged under 163 — — — — 21
Attempted rape of a male aged under 163 — — — — 2
Indecent assault on a female person under 16 years 1,469 1,331 1,205 1,355 1,446
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 13 105 83 76 64 81
Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 223 218 170 205 203
Incest with girl under 13 Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse 68 52 51 35 21
Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse 3 3 2 4 5
Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 1 3 6 2 3
Person responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution 2 — 1 — 3
Abduction of unmarried girl under 16 8 12 6 9 6
Gross indecency with boys 91 99 80 77 56
Gross indecency with girls 128 129 123 112 99
Taking or making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children 39 44 37 27 44
1Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences.
2Buggery and attempted buggery offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec 12 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec 143.
3 Rape and attempted rape offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Sec I as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec 142.
— = Not available.

Table D: Persons proceeded against in Scotland where the main crime is a sexual offence against a child 1991–94
Scotland
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994
Lewd and libidinous practices 200 186 191 230
Defilement of a girl under 13 2 7 8 3
Defilement of a girl under 16 95 65 66 74
Causing or encouraging seduction of a girl under 16 — — — —
Taking or making indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children — 6 — 2

Table E: Persons with a charge proved in Scotland where the main crime is a sexual offence against a child 1991–1994.
Scotland
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994
Lewd and libidinous practices 160 154 159 182
Defilement of a girl under 13 2 7 8 3
Defilement of a girl under 16 91 57 53 67
Causing or encouraging seduction of a girl under 16 — — — —
Taking or making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children — 5 — 2

Table F: Persons proceeded against in Northern Ireland for sexual offences involving children, 1991–1995
Northern Ireland
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Unlawful carnal knowledge (of girl under 14 and under 17, including attempts) 32 29 12 20 22
Gross indecency with children (including attempts and incitement) 13 12 7 11 9

Table G: Persons found guilty in Northern Ireland for sexual offences involving children, 1991–1995
Northern Ireland
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Unlawful carnal knowledge (of girl under 14 and under 17. including attempts) 29 28 9 20 19
Gross indecency with children (including attempts and incitement) 12 10 4 7 8

Table H: Number of victims of sexual offences, aged wider 17 years, recorded by the police in Northern Ireland 1991–1995
Northern Ireland
Offence description 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Buggery (including attempts) 42 23 21 54 48
Rape (including attempts) 51 51 75 78 92
Indecent assault on male/female 313 373 501 558 739
Unlawful carnal knowledge of under 14 and under 17 year olds 115 147 154 191 260
Incest (including attempts) 24 28 17 22 11
Gross indecency with child 78 101 63 84 63
Other sexual offences 13 1 8 6 8