Sex Crimes Soar by 22% Post-Pandemic, ONS Reveals
Police recorded a shocking 199,021 sex crimes in the year ending September 2022. That’s a massive 22% jump from the 163,244 offences logged before the pandemic struck in March 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Rape Cases Surge Amid Overall Crime Spike
Rapes made up 35% of these sex crimes, with 70,633 incidents reported – a 20% rise from 59,104 before Covid. The total number of crimes cracked 6.6 million in England and Wales, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 10%, up from 6.1 million the previous year.
Domestic Abuse and Violent Crime on the Rise
Domestic abuse offences also surged by 14%, climbing from 798,607 up to 910,980 in the year to March 2020. Since lockdown restrictions eased, homicides, robberies, and crimes involving knives and guns have increased, although still remain below pre-pandemic figures.
ONS Warns of Reporting Changes Skewing Data
Despite the alarming numbers, the ONS advises caution. They say rising reports of sexual offences could reflect greater willingness from victims to come forward and better police recording – not necessarily a real crime spike. Similarly, the rise in domestic abuse cases may partly result from increased reporting.
“The rise in overall crime was largely driven by increases in offence categories most subject to changes in reporting and recording practices,” the ONS said. “This may not reflect a genuine increase in crime.”
The report also highlighted a grim fact: the number of suspects brought to court remains at an all-time low, raising concerns about justice for victims.
