UK Police Record 264% Surge in Sexual Assaults as Violence Against Women Declared 'National Emergency'

A recent social media post by user "The British Patriot" on September 18, 2025, controversially declared, "> What’s happening across Britain to young girls is a genocide." This stark claim highlights the profound public concern surrounding violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the UK, an issue officially recognized as a "national emergency" by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing in July 2024. This declaration comes amidst alarming statistics revealing the pervasive nature of such violence across the country.

Official data underscores the severity of the situation, with police-recorded rape and sexual assault offences against women and girls experiencing a staggering 264% increase between 2009–10 and 2023–24. Furthermore, in the year ending March 2024, over 1.2 million women aged 16 to 59 were estimated to be victims of domestic abuse. VAWG-related crimes constituted just under 20% of all recorded offences in England and Wales, with overall recorded incidents rising by 37% between 2018 and 2023.

In response to this escalating crisis, the UK government has introduced various initiatives and legislative measures. Labour's 2024 manifesto pledged to halve VAWG within a decade, with a new strategy anticipated in summer 2025. However, a January 2025 report by the National Audit Office (NAO) questioned the effectiveness of previous VAWG strategies, citing issues such as a lack of consistent definition, departmental "buy-in," and a significant £22 million underspend in the Home Office's VAWG budget between 2021 and 2024.

Advocacy groups like the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) and Rape Crisis have consistently voiced concerns over the adequacy of these responses. They highlight persistent challenges, including low prosecution rates for sexual offenses—only 1.3% of recorded rapes resulted in a charge or summons in the year ending September 2021—and a critical underfunding of specialist support services. Stakeholders emphasize the urgent need for a "whole-society approach" and sustained investment to address the root causes of violence and rebuild trust in the justice system.