Violence against women and girls at ‘epidemic’ levels, UK police say

Violence against women and girls in England and Wales has reached “epidemic levels,” UK police have warned, saying forces should prioritize their response to the issue in the same way as they do terrorism and organized crime.

In a major report, police estimate that at least one in every 12 women will be a victim of violence against women and girls (VAWG) every year, amounting to 2 million victims. Meanwhile, at least one in every 20 adults will be a perpetrator of this violence.

Crimes including rape, domestic abuse, stalking and harassment increased by 37% in the past five years, the report found – a “staggering” increase that has prompted the UK Home Office to classify VAWG as “a national threat to public safety.”

The figures were revealed Tuesday in a 70-page report – the first national analysis of the scale of VAWG by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Maggie Blyth, the NPCC’s lead for VAWG, said the situation had become “a national emergency,” and that violence has reached “epidemic levels … in terms of its scale, complexity and impact on victims.”

“We need the support and direction of government to intervene and address the current problems within the criminal justice system and lead the way on a whole-system approach to VAWG,” she said.

Keir Starmer, the new prime minister, announced his government will bring forward plans to halve violence against women and girls.

The report identified five “critical threats” to women and girls which make up an estimated 3,000 VAWG-related crimes recorded across England and Wales each day.

In the year ending March 2023 in England and Wales, police recorded more than 100,000 rape and serious sexual offenses, more than 400,000 domestic abuse-related crimes, some 436,000 stalking and harrassment offenses, and more than 40,000 child sexual abuse and exploitation offenses, committed against girls aged between 10 and 17.

“These are cautious estimates as we know much crime goes unreported and in policing, we often only see the tip of the iceberg,” the report said.

Of the 2 million women and girls who experience violence each year, 1.4 million are subjected to domestic abuse, according to the report. In the year ending March 2023, one in every six homicides were domestic abuse-related.

In cases of rape and serious sexual offenses, suspects are more likely to be an ex- or current partner (38%) or individuals known to the victim (29%) compared to a stranger (26%).

The average suspect age in reported instances of rape and serious sexual offense in England and Wales is 37, the report said, though the recorded age range of suspects is from 10 years old to 100.

There has been a 435% increase in child sexual abuse and exploitation in England and Wales between 2013 and 2022, the report said. Of these crimes, 93% involve contact sexual offenses and sexual grooming.

The average age of victims in these cases is 13 years old, while the average age of suspects is 15 years old, it said. More than half of child sexual abuse and exploitation cases reported between January and July 2023 were also committed by children.

The police report also acknowledged that, while crimes against women and girls are increasing in number, perpetrators are often not punished for their actions.

As of March 2023, only 4.4% of domestic abuse cases recorded by police resulted in the perpetrator being convicted, the report said. The reasons for this include limited prison capacities and huge backlogs in courts.

The UK’s Minister for Safeguarding Jess Phillips wrote in a post on social media that the report’s findings show that VAWG is a “national emergency” and a “threat” to Britain’s security and prosperity.

Blyth added that the NPCC is “absolutely determined to turn the tide on violence and abuse faced by women and girls and will continue to work tirelessly to do better for victims.”

“We need the support and direction of government to lead the way on a whole-system approach to VAWG,” Blyth said.