‘GRIM figures’ show sexual offences against Rugby children have rocketed over the last four years.
The town has seen a rise from 29 reported offences in 2011/12 to 75 in 2015/16 – a more than three-fold rise.
An NSPCC spokesman said: “These are grim figures which show a steep rise in the number of reports of sexual offences against children.
“Sexual abuse has a devastating impact on a child, and we urge all victims to come forward as soon as possible so they can get the support they need and offenders can be brought to justice.”
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures – which cover rape, grooming, and sexual exploitation, activity and assault of under-16s – were hailed by some as a sign that victims of historical offences were becoming more confident in reporting abuse, as a result of high-profile cases.
A Warwickshire County Council spokesperson said: “As a result of high profile cases such as those which took place in Rotherham, both awareness and reports of child sexual abuse have increased nationally.”
He said Warwickshire agencies had re-doubled their efforts to ensure prevention, detection and conviction – including the awareness campaign Something’s Not Right, the joint council-police body Warwickshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), and multi-agency partnership the Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board.
He added: “Our focus is on protecting the victims, ensuring that their voice is heard and that they get the right support.”
A Warwickshire Police spokesman described the surge in reports as “positive, demonstrating that survivors of sexual abuse in their childhood have the confidence to come forward and report allegations to police”.
He added police were increasingly proactive in identifying where offending was happening – contributing to the rise in recorded incidents.
Detective Superintendent Jason Wells said: “Abusing children is an horrific crime and protecting vulnerable people and children in particular is a force priority. We acknowledge that this area poses a challenge to the police service and we have significantly increased the number of officers and staff dedicated to child abuse investigation.
“Warwickshire Police will continue to identify people who sexually abuse and exploit children. Everyone has a responsibility to spot the signs of abuse and act by sharing concerns, however small they may seem.”
If you think a child is in immediate danger, call 999. If you think a child may be at risk, call police on 101 or contact Children’s Services. Any child who has been a victim of abuse can call Childline on 0800 1111.
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/childconcerns for more information.
