One Rape Reported Every Hour in London, Actual Numbers Likely Higher: Charities Claim
According to police data released on Friday, one rape is reported every hour in London. In 2023, approximately 8,800 cases were dealt with, averaging 24 cases per day.
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Data obtained by the BBC through a Freedom of Information request also shows 11,000 reports of other sexual offenses in 2023. Over the past five years, the total number of sexual crimes has increased by 14%, reaching nearly 20,000 last year, which means a sexual violence or rape report was made to the police every 26.5 minutes.
Charities working to protect women and children from sexual violence claim the real number of such incidents is much higher, as many crimes are never reported to the police.
London's Rape Crisis Centre described the findings as "horrifying" and told the BBC that "urgent change is needed." The charity claims that only one in six women who experience rape report the crime, while among male victims, it is one in five. Only one in four individuals will report other types of sexual harassment.
Shockingly, police data also reveals that over 4,300 children reported being victims of rape or sexual abuse in 2023. Ian Critchley, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for child protection, explained the sharp rise in abuse cases involving children by pointing to the influence of "toxic" online culture, such as violent pornography, which may be contributing to an increase in child-on-child sexual abuse.
Police and officials also attribute the rise to more frequent reporting of such crimes. According to the data, sexual offense charges have seen a significant increase in recent years, rising from 818 charges in 2018 to over 1,400 in 2023.
In August, the UK Home Office stated that rape cases, which led to charges, took the longest to investigate, with an average of 423 days. In comparison, violent crime against a person took 55 days to investigate, and theft took 28 days.
Public trust in policing has become a key issue after several high-profile incidents of violence against women involving London Metropolitan Police officers. A survey conducted in April revealed that only four out of ten people in England trust the police, with officers in the British capital receiving the lowest scores. Last year, 657 Metropolitan Police officers were investigated for allegations of sexual abuse, domestic abuse, or both.
