Only 2.7% of Rapes Recorded by Police in England and Wales Led to Charge in 2024

Concerns about the prevalence and justice outcomes for rape and sexual assault in England and Wales, as highlighted by a recent tweet from "The Rabbit Hole," are underscored by new official data revealing persistently low charge rates despite a rise in recorded incidents. The latest figures show that a mere 2.7% of rape cases recorded by police in 2024 resulted in a charge or summons within the same year.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) provides a broader picture of victimisation, estimating that 4.1% of people aged 16 and over experienced rape, including attempts, in the year ending March 2024, equating to approximately two million individuals. Lifetime prevalence is even higher, with over one in four women and one in eighteen men reporting sexual assault since the age of 16. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) considers CSEW data a more reliable measure of trends than police recorded crime figures.

Despite the high prevalence, reporting rates to the police remain critically low. Fewer than one in six victims of sexual assault by rape or penetration reported the crime to law enforcement, according to combined CSEW data from 2017 and 2020. Common reasons cited by victims for not reporting include embarrassment, a belief that the police could not help, or the expectation of a humiliating experience.

Police recorded figures indicate a continued increase in sexual offences. In the year ending September 2024, 69,958 rape offences were recorded, representing a 3% increase from the previous year. Overall sexual offences recorded by police rose by 5% to 199,445 during the same period. However, the ONS cautions that these increases may reflect improved recording practices and greater willingness of victims to come forward, rather than a direct surge in incidents.

The criminal justice system faces significant challenges in prosecuting these cases. Home Office statistics for the year ending March 2024 showed only 2.6% of rape offences resulted in a charge or summons, a figure that, while slightly up from 2.1% in the previous year, remains exceptionally low. Adult rape cases, on average, take approximately two years from reporting to completion in court, contributing to a substantial backlog of sexual offence cases.

In response to long-standing concerns, the government initiated an 'End-to-end review of the criminal justice system response to rape' in 2019, acknowledging that the system was failing victims. Initiatives like Operation Soteria aim to improve police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) handling of rape cases. The government has also announced plans to introduce free, independent legal advocates for victims from 2025 to help reduce victim attrition and improve justice outcomes.