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'Rape of a female' - Long-term national recorded crime trend
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Source: Research Development and Statistics (CRCSG) Home Office
- In 2003/04 there were a total of 12,354 recorded offences of rape of a female, this represents an increase of eight per cent from the previous year.
Understanding recorded crime statistics
It can be difficult to measure accurate trends in police recorded crime. The reasons for this include:
- changes in the way police have been asked to record crimes
- changes in people's attitudes to reporting crime
Understanding the chart
- In 2002/03, the total number of 'Rape of a female' offences recorded by police in England & Wales was 11,441.
| Complete Sample of Cases | 100% (n=483) |
|---|---|
| Crimed Cases | 75% |
| Detected Cases | 64% |
| Defendants Charged | 31% |
| CPS Prosecuted | 23% |
| Court Proceedings | 21% |
| Conviction (All Offences) | 13% |
Conviction (Rape) | 6% |
- Over two-thirds of cases dropped out at the police stage and did not make it as far as the courts.
- One quarter of incidents initially recorded as rape were subsequently 'no-crimed' by the police.
- Cases where the complainant and suspect were acquaintances were most likely to be 'no-crimed'.
- Half of all the cases that were 'crimed' resulted in 'no further action' (NFA) by the police.
- Cases involving intimates were most likely to be NFA-ed or discontinued by the CPS.
- In the small minority of 'stranger rape' cases (only 12% of the full sample), where a suspect was identified the case was more likely to proceed to court than in those cases where the complainant and suspect were previously acquainted.
| Finding | Source | Method |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in 4 women have experienced rape or attempted rape | Painter, 1991 | Survey of 1,007 women in 11 cities, Northern England |
| 1 in 7 women have been coerced into sex, rising to 1 in 3 among divorced and separated women | Painter, 1991 | Survey of 1,007 women in 11 cities, Northern England |
| The most common perpetrators of rape are husbands and partners | Painter, 1991 | Survey of 1,007 women in 11 cities, Northern England |
| 97% of callers to Rape Crisis Lines knew their assailant prior to the assault | Rape Crisis Federation of England and Wales | Analysis of RCF members' records, England and Wales |
| The majority of perpetrators are known to the victim | Kelly et. al, 2005 | |
| During 2001 it is estimated that 190,000 incidents of serious sexual assault and 47,000 female victims of rape/attempted rape | Walby & Allen, 2004 | British Crime Survey 2002 |
(Source: http://www.cwasu.org/ )