Crime Statistics: One in four sexual offences not recorded as crime says HM Inspectorate of Constabulary

The national average rate of under-recording of crime is almost one in five, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has found in its report, ‘Crime-recording: making the victim count’, published today.

In what was the most extensive inspection and analysis of crime-recording ever carried out, HMIC examined over 8,000 reports of crime to the police.

The national average of under-recording of crime is 19 per cent, which amounts to over 800,000 crimes each year.

More than a quarter of sex offences (26%) are not being recorded as crimes by the Police the report concludes, 33% of ‘violence against the person’ crimes also go unreported.

[pullquote cite=”Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor” type=”right”]“Victims need and are entitled to support and assistance. They – and their communities – are entitled to justice. Failures in crime-recording can also increase the risks to victims and the community of the denial of justice. The police therefore need to take this subject very seriously..[/pullquote]

The report found 3,246 no-crime decisions were found to be incorrect – one in five, this includes over 200 rapes and more than 250 violent crimes.

In a few forces, crime-recording is very good, and shows that it can be done well and the statistics can be trusted,in some other forces, it is unacceptably bad.

During and since the inspections, some forces, including Merseyside have taken significant steps to improve.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor said:

“The first duty of the police is to protect the public and reduce crime. A national crime-recording rate of 81 per cent is inexcusably poor. Failure properly to record crime is indefensible. This is not about numbers and dry statistics; it’s about victims and the protection of the public.

“The position in the case of rape and other sexual offences is a matter of especially serious concern. The inspection found 37 cases of rape which were not recorded as crimes. The national rate of under-recording of sexual offences (including rapes) as crimes was 26 per cent, and the national rate of incorrect decisions to no-crime rapes was 20 per cent. These are wholly unacceptable failings. Some forces have exemplary records in this respect, and some others are very bad. It is particularly important that in cases as serious as rape, these shortcomings are put right as a matter of the greatest urgency. In some forces, action is already being taken in this respect.

“The police should immediately institutionalise the presumption that the victim is to be believed. If evidence later comes to light which shows that no crime occurred, then the record should be corrected; that is how the system is supposed to work. Trust in what the police tell people about crime is part of the essential trust which the public must have in the police.”