MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary, responding to the release of ONS and Home
Office crime statistics, said:
“These damning figures show the Conservatives have no grip on law
and order with more criminals being let off, more victims being
let down, and a shameful failure to tackle violence against women
and girls. It is truly shocking that there has been a further
drop in the rape prosecution rate to just 1.3%.
“Overall crime is up by 14 % even despite the pandemic when more
people have been staying at home as a result of soaring fraud and
online crime where the Government has no grip at all. At the same
time far too many criminals aren’t being caught or charged as the
overall charge rate has shamefully fallen to its lowest
level on record at just 6% - down from 15.5% six years ago.
“Even now the Government is refusing to adopt Labour’s plans to
improve community safety and security - including for all police
forces to have specialist rape investigation units, violence
against women and girls to be a strategic policing priority, more
police to be back out into local neighbourhoods or a proper plan
to tackle online fraud. The result is that under the
Conservatives more and more criminals are getting away with their
crimes, and it is victims who are paying the price. Communities
deserve better.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Data from the ONS’ Crime in England and Wales Survey (year to
September 2021) and Crime Outcomes in England and Wales (year to
September 2021) shows:
- Overall crime rose 14% compared to 2019 driven by a 49%
increase in fraud. 1 in 5 people were victims of crime last year.
ONS, Crime in England and Wales YE Sept 21, 27 January
2022,https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingseptember2021#overall-estimates-of-crime
- The overall charge rate has fallen to its lowest level on
record – just 6%, compared to 7.3% a year ago and 15.5% in 2015.
- The charge rate for rape has fallen to a record low of 1.3%
(down from 7.2% in 2015). Charge rates for violence (5.4%) and
sexual offences (2.9%) have all fallen to record lows as well.
- At 1.9m offences, violence recorded by the police was at its
highest on record – up 8% in a year and 190% compared to 2010.
Sexual offences recorded by the police were at the highest level
recorded (170,973 offences), a 12% increase from the same period
in 2020. Rape accounted for 37% of these offences and the year
ending September 2021 saw the highest recorded annual number of
rape offences to date (63,136 offences).
- In a quarter of cases (25.5%), victims pulled out of the
process – 1.17m in total. While in over a third of cases (35.7%
or 1.6m crimes), no suspect was identified at all.
Home Office, Crime Outcomes YE Sept 21, 27 January 2022,https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/crime-outcomes-in-england-and-wales-year-to-september-2021-data-tables
