Huge increase in the number of sex offences against children

THE number of child sex offences reported to police in Wales has soared in the last year.

Analysis of the latest Home Office crime statistics has revealed that there were 3,888 cases of sexual crimes against children recorded by police across the country in the 12 months to June 2018.

That’s up from 3,170 similar child sex offences recorded the previous year – an increase of 23%.

These crimes include rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and grooming of children under the age of 16 – the age of consent in the UK.

In cases where the gender of the victim is given, three quarters of those affected were girls.

Experts say the rise could be due to an actual increase in abuse – particularly online – or it may be due to more victims feeling able to come forward.

Andrew Fellowes, NSPCC Public Affairs Manager, said: “Child sexual abuse has devastating consequences and shockingly these figures underestimate the true scale of the crimes actually taking place.

“There could be many reasons for the rise, including more people speaking out, better police recording, or a rise in offending, especially online. This is why we are asking government to conduct a UK-wide study of child sexual abuse, so we can better understand what resources are needed to properly tackle and prevent these horrendous crimes.

“But it is also vital that children feel able to come forward to disclose abuse so that they can get the help and support they need to rebuild their lives.

“The NSPCC’s Speak Out. Stay Safe programme visits primary schools across the UK telling children how to spot the signs of abuse and where to turn for help.”

When the crimes are broken down by local authority area, Wrexham saw the sharpest increase in Wales, with the number of these crimes nearly tripling from 250 to 714.

Torfaen followed, with the figure increasing by 67% from 63 to 105.

Meanwhile, Wrexham also saw the highest rate of this type of crime in Wales.

The 714 crimes recorded there means there was one sexual offence against a child in Wrexham for every 37 children living in the area.

That’s nearly four times as high as the national average – across Wales, the 3,888 crimes recorded works out as one sexual offence for every 144 children.

The latest analysis come three months after a couple described as the “Fred and Rose West of Barry” were jailed for sexually abusing young girls.

During their trial, Cardiff Crown Court was told Peter and Avril Griffiths, both of Barry Road, Barry, “repeatedly sexually abused three young girls” between the 1970s and 1990s.

Peter Griffiths, 65, was sentenced to 21 years in jail for eight counts of rape, three of indecent assault, and two of taking an indecent photograph of a child.

His wife Avril Griffiths, 61, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for five counts of rape, two of taking an indecent photograph of a child, and two of indecent assault.