Rape offences at highest recorded level

Clapham Bandstand, surrounded by flowers laid in tribute to Sarah Everard, who was raped and murdered by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021

Police in England and Wales have recorded the highest number of rapes and sexual offences in 20 years.

Forces recorded 194,683 sexual offences in 2021-22, including 70,330 rapes, the highest number since records began in 2002/03.

It comes as high profile cases and campaigns have been in the public eye.

The deaths of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa prompted outpourings of concern about violence of all kinds against women and girls.

The number of sex offences recorded by forces in England and Wales has more than doubled in the past seven years, from 88,576 in 2014/15 to 194,683 in 2021-22.

Rape offences have nearly doubled in the past six years, from 36,320 in 2015-16 to 70,330 in the year to March.

The number of domestic-abuse related offences recorded by police also increased in the year to March.

Police recorded 909,504 offences, up 8% on the previous year and 12% on the pre-pandemic year of 2019/20.

Separate data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which asks the public about their personal experiences of crime, was also published.

It suggested that there had been no significant increase in the number of sexual assault or domestic abuse offences being committed, alongside the rise in the number of crimes recorded by police.

Estimates calculated using six months' of data suggested that 5.7% of adults aged 16 to 59 years experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2022, compared to 6.1 % in the year to March 2020.

While 2.7% of adults aged 16 to 59 years had experienced sexual assault offences in the year ending March 2022, compared to 2.2% in the year to March 2020.