§ Ms MoranTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions have been achieved in cases of child abuse in respect of children aged (i) zero to four years, (ii) four to six years and (iii) six to 10 years, in each of the last five years. [80087]
§ Mr. BoatengThose who abuse children can be charged with a number of offences. However, some of these offences, such as assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault, are mostly used to prosecute those who attack and injure adults and it is not possible to identify child victims from the overall statistics. The table shows the statistics for those offences where it is possible to identify a child victim. No further age breakdown is available centrally.
27W
England and Wales Number of persons Convictions1 Offences 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Indictable Offences Violence against the person Murder of Infant under 1 year of age 2 2 6 8 11 Infanticide 5 3 2 4 3 Child destruction — — 1 — — Cruelty to, or neglect of children 209 238 317 293 390 Abandoning children under 2 years 1 7 — 1 Child abduction 32 36 66 52 40 Concealment of Birth 2 1 — — 1 Sexual offences Buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 136 135 86 5 — Attempt to commit buggery with a boy under the age of 16 or with a woman or an animal 20 16 14 2 — Buggery by a male of a male under 162 5— 5— 29 66 70 Buggery by a male with a female under 162 5— 5— 7 17 21 Indecent assault on male person under 16 years 293 324 339 355 363 Gross indecency by a male aged 21 or over with a male aged under 183 5— 11 11 17 Gross indecency by a male aged 18–20 with a male aged under 185 5— 5— — — 2 Rape of a female aged under 164 5— 5— 113 210 198 Rape of a male aged under 164 5— 5— 2 13 24 Attempted rape of a female aged under 164 5— 5— 21 35 52 Attempted rape of a male aged under 164 5— 2 2 5 Indecent assault on a female under 16 1,205 1,355 1,446 1,597 1,627 Unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 13 76 64 81 54 44 Incest with a girl under 13 51 35 21 19 19 Inciting girl under 16 to have incestuous sexual intercourse 2 4 5 — 3 Householder permitting unlawful sexual intercourse with girl under 16 6 2 3 — 1 Person responsible for girl under 16 causing or encouraging her prostitution etc. 1 — 3 1 1 Male aged 21 or over procuring or attempting to procure a male under 18 of gross indecency with another male3 5— 5— 2 3 6 Abduction of unmarried girl under 16 6 9 6 3 1 Gross indecency with boys aged 14 and under 80 77 56 53 56 Gross indecency with girls aged 14 and under 123 112 99 109 111 Summary Offences Violent offences Cruelty to or neglect of children 2 2 3 3 1 1Includes persons proceeded against in earlier years or for other offences. 2Buggery and attempted buggery offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Section 12 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Section 143. 3Indecency between males offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Section 12 as amended by the Criminal Justice Public Order Act Act 1994, Section 144. 4Rape and attempted rape offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 Section 1 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Section 142. 5Not available.