Police Data Shows 8,500 Sexual Offenses Against Under-13s at England, Wales Schools
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 5
Police Data Shows 8,500 Sexual Offenses Against Under-13s at England, Wales Schools
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 5
Summary
FOI data from 33 of 43 police forces recorded more than 8,500 sexual offenses at or near schools against under-13s in England and Wales from 2021 to last year, including multiple rapes on school premises each year.
Most victims were girls, while key perpetrator details remain incomplete, and the figures reflect reports rather than convictions—leaving the full scale uncertain even as some assaults still go unreported.
Becky Riggs of the National Police Chiefs’ Council said higher numbers may partly reflect greater willingness to report abuse, but the lack of comparable historical data means trends cannot be measured cleanly.
The findings intensify pressure on ministers to strengthen sex-education, online-safety and criminal-justice responses, with campaigners warning schools need more investment, training and evaluation to curb abuse.