THE number of sex crimes reported to police in Oxfordshire rose by 29 per cent in the last year, nine percentage points above the national average increase.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday revealed 693 sex crimes were reported in the county between April last year and March this year – up from 536 the previous year.
The figures for Oxford were even worse, with a 35 per cent rise to 241 sexual offences.
The number of sex crimes from April 13 to March 14 in England and Wales rose by 20 per cent to 64,200, up from 53,620 during the same period the previous year.
Thames Valley Police said recent high profile historic sex abuse cases, including the Rolf Harris and Jimmy Savile scandals, were largely responsible for sexual offences reaching their highest level since September 2010.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “The number of recorded offences continues to be influenced by the allegations against celebrities and the subsequent successful prosecutions, resulting in greater reporting of historical offences.”
There was a 3.2 per cent drop in total crime in Oxfordshire – from 36,438 to 35,264 –with burglary, robbery and violent crime all falling.
But theft rose by one per cent, with 149 more thefts than last year, bringing the total number to 14,491.
Operation Bullfinch – launched in 2011 to investigate child sex explopitation in Oxford – has so far seen nine men jailed for more than 100 years for sex crimes dating back to 2004.
This year, 21-year-old Omid Ali was jailed for 14 years for raping a vulnerable teenager, while Mustafa Ahmed was jailed for 18 months for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old in 2011.
Nationally, celebrities Harris, Max Clifford and Stuart Hall have all been jailed for historic sex crimes under Operation Yewtree.
But Natalie Brook, service manager at the Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre, said it was difficult to know whether the rise was due to victims becoming more willing to come forward or due to a rise in the number of crimes taking place.
She said: “We know that only 15 per cent of women who have experienced sexual violence report it to the police in the first place so it is very difficult to know how many sexual offences actually happen each year.
“In general we judge it to be a good thing the rate has gone up because we feel it means more people have felt able to report their experiences.
“Victims have gained confidence in recent years because they increasingly believe that the police will believe them and support them when they come forward.
“But unlike with other crimes which have a much higher rate of reporting, it is very hard for us to know whether offences are dropping or rising because we know the disparity between offences and reported offences is so large.”
Sylvia Neatham, who had £770 stolen from her in Witney town centre last August, said more needed to be done.
She said: “People need to be more vigilant but we also need more police on the streets, especially in areas where lots of crimes happen.”
Burglary fell by 11 per cent from 3,502 reported offences to 3,111, robbery dropped by nine per cent from 222 to 203 and violent crime fell by three per cent from 4,645 offences to 4,526.
Criminal damage also fell, with the number of offences going down from 1,704, 1,518 – a fall of 11 per cent.
Drug offences went down by six per cent from 933 reported crimes to 878.
Crimes relating to possession of a weapon dropped 16 per cent from 92 to 77, but public order crimes went up from 700 to 802, a 15 per cent rise.
There was a slight increase in the number of vehicle offences, with 1,048 offences reported compared to 1,022 the year before.
Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “The fact that crime continues to drop and, in some areas the reduction is greater than the national average, shows that the tireless work of Thames Valley Police officers and staff is paying off.”
- Victims of sex crimes can contact the Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre on 0800 783 6294.
Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS, SPORT and JAYDEN depending on what services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.
The figures
Sex crimes reported:
Cherwell
2012/13: 134
2013/14: 157
Rise: 17%
Oxford
2012/13: 178
2013/14: 241
Rise: 35%
South Oxfordshire
2012/13: 90
2013/14: 78
Fall: 13%
2012/13: 74
2013/14: 121
Rise: 64%
West Oxfordshire
2012/13: 60
2013/14: 96
Rise: 60%
Oxfordshire
2012/13: 536
2013/14: 693
Rise: 29%
Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS, SPORT and JAYDEN depending on what services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.
Our top stories
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel