Disturbing Stats: Women Under Siege in the UK!

The alarming rise in violence against women and girls in England and Wales has prompted UK police to declare the issue a national emergency. In a new report, law enforcement officials warn that violence against women and girls (VAWG) has reached “epidemic levels” and urge that it be treated as seriously as terrorism and organized crime.

According to the report, at least one in 12 women in the UK will experience violence annually, equating to over 2 million victims each year. Moreover, at least one in 20 adults is expected to perpetrate this violence, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive response.

The statistics are staggering: crimes such as rape, domestic abuse, stalking, and harassment have surged by 37% over the past five years. This sharp increase has led the UK Home Office to categorize VAWG as a “national threat to public safety.”

The figures were unveiled in a 70-page report by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), marking the first national analysis of the scale of VAWG. Maggie Blyth, the NPCC’s lead for VAWG, expressed grave concern over the findings, describing the situation as “a national emergency” and emphasizing the epidemic nature of the violence in terms of its “scale, complexity, and impact on victims.”

Blyth stated, “We need the support and direction of government to intervene and address the current problems within the criminal justice system and lead the way on a whole-system approach to VAWG.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has responded by announcing plans to halve violence against women and girls, underscoring the government’s commitment to tackling this pressing issue.

The report identifies five “critical threats” to women and girls, leading to approximately 3,000 VAWG-related crimes recorded across England and Wales each day. In the year ending March 2023, police reported over 100,000 instances of rape and serious sexual offenses, more than 400,000 domestic abuse-related crimes, around 436,000 cases of stalking and harassment, and over 40,000 incidents of child sexual abuse and exploitation involving girls aged 10 to 17.

The report notes, “These are cautious estimates as we know much crime goes unreported and in policing, we often only see the tip of the iceberg.”

Of the 2 million women and girls experiencing violence each year, 1.4 million are subjected to domestic abuse. In the same period, one in every six homicides was related to domestic abuse.

The analysis reveals that in cases of rape and serious sexual offenses, the suspects are more likely to be an ex- or current partner (38%) or someone known to the victim (29%), compared to a stranger (26%). The average age of suspects in reported instances of rape and serious sexual offenses is 37, although suspects’ ages range from as young as 10 to as old as 100.

The report highlights a troubling 435% increase in child sexual abuse and exploitation from 2013 to 2022. Of these crimes, 93% involve contact sexual offenses and sexual grooming. The average age of victims in these cases is 13 years old, while the average age of suspects is 15. Alarmingly, more than half of the child sexual abuse and exploitation cases reported between January and July 2023 were committed by children.

Despite the rising number of crimes against women and girls, the report acknowledges a significant issue: perpetrators often go unpunished. As of March 2023, only 4.4% of domestic abuse cases recorded by police resulted in a conviction for the perpetrator. This low conviction rate is attributed to factors such as limited prison capacity and substantial backlogs in the courts.

Jess Phillips, the UK’s Minister for Safeguarding, took to social media to highlight the severity of the situation, calling VAWG a “national emergency” and a “threat” to Britain’s security and prosperity.

Blyth reiterated the NPCC’s commitment to combating violence and abuse against women and girls, stating, “The NPCC is absolutely determined to turn the tide on violence and abuse faced by women and girls and will continue to work tirelessly to do better for victims.”

She added, “We need the support and direction of government to lead the way on a whole-system approach to VAWG.”

The urgent call to action from police and government officials underscores the critical need for comprehensive measures to address the escalating violence against women and girls in England and Wales.