Nearly half Norfolk rape and sexual assault victims under 18
Between September 2023 and the same time last year, 3,280 rape or sexual assault offences were reported to Norfolk Police
Shocking new figures have revealed that nearly half of all rape and sexual assault victims in Norfolk are aged under 18, amid reports of increasing abuse in schools and the targeting of vulnerable youngsters.
Freedom of information requests have shown that between September 2023 and the same time last year, 3,280 rape or sexual assault offences were reported to Norfolk Police.
Of these incidents, 1,120 victims were aged between 11 and 17, while 400 were aged just 10 or under. Senior officers have said that a “significant proportion” of these victims are vulnerable teens.
Young victims - and suspects
According to the Norfolk police force, the highest proportion of victims were between the ages of 11 and 17, with 1,120 cases reported by this age group.
There were 224 reports of rape with female victims aged under 16, and 58 reports of rape with male victims in the same age range.
Overall, the vast majority of offences were committed by men against women and girls.
Norfolk Police identified 2,824 suspects for the offences, with the majority aged between 18 and 30.
However, nearly a third of identified suspects, 851, were aged under 18, amid fears that abuse between school pupils is becoming more widespread and affecting increasingly younger children.
Children of primary school age made up 131 identified suspects, while 560 were of secondary school age up to the age of 16.
Scales of offences revealed
There has been nearly a 10pc rise in the number of sexual offences reported compared to three years ago in 2022, when 2,996 were reported.
Notably, police include historic offences in the statistics of the year they are reported, meaning that not all the rapes and sexual assaults logged will actually have taken place in the past year.
A number of the offences reported last year also remain under investigation and are yet to receive a final outcome.
Just 5pc of the sexual offences reported have resulted in someone being charged or receiving a summons.
While a concerning figure, this is higher than the national average of just 2.7pc. Only three in every 100 rape or sexual assault cases reported across the UK result in a charge.
Police chiefs in Norfolk say the low charge rate only tells “part of the story”, with victims waiting several years in hope of justice due to court backlogs.
Vulnerable children targeted
Detective Superintendent Stuart Chapman, of Norfolk Police, said a “significant percentage” of sexual abuse is committed against vulnerable teenagers.
This could include teens with mental health issues or learning difficulties, those in the care system or youngsters from unstable backgrounds.
He added that specialist teams are working with multiple agencies to help identify and investigate child sexual exploitation.
Charities have written to the government to demand schools are given more support to address the increasing number of sexual assaults in schools, amid fears schools are not dealing with incidents properly.
Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis, said: “It needs to be made clear that children who have been sexually assaulted or abused at school are entitled to a supportive response from their school, irrespective of any criminal justice processes.”
Wait for justice
Victims are also facing agonizing waits for cases to get to court in the county, according to Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Sarah Taylor.
It was previously reported that delays to trials led nearly 70pc of rape victims to drop out of investigations in England and Wales in 2023.
Ms Taylor said: “It is only too clear that the Criminal Justice System is creaking with the history of underfunding and backlogs.
“Some cases of rape and sexual offences do not get to court for several years, so figures suggesting a low rate of perpetrators being charged or given a summons only tells part of the story.
“I have spent time examining the police response to rape and serious sexual offences and I am reassured by the way Norfolk Constabulary supports victims of rape and sexual offences.”
Delays caused by the court backlog can have a huge impact on the recovery of survivors of sexual violence and abuse, according to Rape Crisis.
CEO Ms Bergman said: “Survivors have faced unacceptable delays and postponements.
“These delays mean that survivors’ lives, and the process of recovery from their awful experiences, is in many cases on hold for months and years. Others simply give up and drop their cases.”
Slow progress
DSI Chapman acknowledges that improvements are needed in how the force responds to sexual offences, but says it is now seeing an increase in positive court outcomes and is committed to improving its services.
He said: “While we recognise and acknowledge there is much improvement to make in this area, the increase in positive court outcomes is encouraging to see.
“Charge or summons is only one form of positive outcome, and we will be guided by the wishes of the victim to ensure the most appropriate action is taken.
“Victims may also not wish to engage in a police investigation, which can present challenges in investigating offences.”