North Wales - Number of child sex offences reported to North Wales Police rises by quarter

Published date: 13 March 2016 | 

Published by: Rebecca Cole 
Read more articles by Rebecca Cole Email reporter

THE number of child sex offences reported to North Wales Police rose by more than a quarter last year.

The shocking figures were revealed through a Freedom of Information request submitted to Welsh police forces by the NSPCC and place the North Wales authority second out of the four - 398 offences were reported in 2014/15 compared to 314 in 2013/14, an increase of 26.7 per cent.

Gwent saw the largest increase at 72 per cent, while Dyfed Powys recorded 9.7 per cent and South Wales 4.9 per cent.

Overall, the figures show a 21 per cent rise from 1,446 to 1,753, an average of almost five a day.

A total of 322 victims were aged 10 and under, and at least 68 victims were too young to attend school.

The children’s charity warned the figures may only reveal “a small part of the whole picture” claiming “many children are afraid to speak about their experiences”.

Head of NSPCC Cymru Des Mannion, said: “These figures paint a very worrying picture of just how extensive these appalling crimes have become.

“A huge rise across Wales is clearly troubling and we will seek to understand why offences have increased so significantly.

“Where better recording of this crime has at least contributed to a rise, police forces must be applauded and we wholeheartedly welcome any boost in confidence that is helping victims to come forward.

“While high-profile cases may dominate the headlines, we must not forget that around 90 per cent of sex offences against children are committed by someone they know – a relative, a family friend or an acquaintance.

“Now more than ever Wales needs easy access to the right treatments.

“We want to see an end to long delays and our It’s Time campaign calls for mental healthservice funding to be targeted at abused children.”

The NSPCC said the reason for the significant increases was “unclear” but said victims may now feel more confident about coming forward following greater awareness about sexual abuse and more high profile cases.

Police forces may have improved their recording methods or become more vigilant about sexual crimes, the charity added.

In response to the figures, North Wales Police re-issued a press statement released on Monday about a new project to tackle online child sexual exploitation called Paedophile Online Investigation Team or POLIT.

see-http://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/159674/number-of-child-sex-offences-reported-to-north-wales-police-rises-by-quarter.aspx