§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of child abuse cases dealt with by magistrates and other courts in 1988–89; and in how many cases a guilty verdict was recorded.
§ Mr. John PattenThe available information is given in the table. It is only possible from the information held centrally to identify offences where the victim is known to be aged under 16. 1989 data are not yet available.
201W
Defendants prosecuted at magistrates' courts and found guilty1 at all courts for specific offences involving children under 16 England and Wales 1988 Offence Total proceeded against Total found guilty Violence against the person Murder of infant under 1 year of age 13 1 Infanticide 1 4 Child Destruction 2 — Cruelty to, or neglect of, children 229 165 Abandoning child aged under 2 years — 1 Child abduction 56 26 Sexual offences Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 320 232 Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 28 31 Indecent assault on a male aged under 16 years 559 460 Indecent assault on a female aged under 16 years 2,159 1,650 Unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13 165 135 Unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 16 345 340
Offence Total proceeded against Total found guilty Incest with girl under 13 105 104 Inciting girl aged under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse 3 2 Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with girl aged under 16 years 10 5 Person responsible for girl aged under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution, etc. — 1 Abduction of unmarried girl aged under 16 20 8 Gross indecency with children 226 246 Summary offences Violence against the person Cruelty to, or neglect of, children 2 2 1 Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences.