§ Lord Bleaseasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can confirm the statement published in the Belfast Newsletter on 22nd March 1986 that "the number of children sexually abused in Northern Ireland is higher proportionally than in any other part of the United Kingdom", and whether they will publish the number of the reported incidents of sexual offences against children in Northern Ireland, and the number cleared, in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland (Lord Lyell)The newsletter article erroneously compared an estimate of child sexual abuse reported to local authorities in England and Wales with cases of child abuse of all types reported to health and social services boards in Northern Ireland. The conclusion drawn in the article is therefore incorrect.
The incidence of sexual offences against children in Northern Ireland in the past five years is as follows:—
SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST CHILDREN UNDER 17 YEARS Reported Cleared 1981 312 222 1982 403 171 1983 396 292 1984 496 334 1985 653 506
COMPARISON WITH ENGLAND AND WALES Number of sexual offences recorded for 100,000 population 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Northern Ireland 21 27 26 33 43 England and Wales 39 40 41 41 Not available