Sexual Offenses in England and Wales Rise by 11% in 2025, ONS Reports

Police recorded 209,079 sexual offenses in England and Wales for the year ending March 2025, marking an 11% increase from the previous year, according to recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This rise comes amidst heightened public discourse on crime and safety, exemplified by a recent social media post from user 9mmSMG stating, > "England has just become a rape theme park for these people." The ONS data provides a factual basis for understanding the current landscape of sexual offenses.

Over half of the 11% increase in police-recorded sexual offenses is attributed to the introduction of two new offenses under the Online Safety Act 2023. These new offenses, related to sharing or threatening to share intimate photographs and sending images of genitals, began being recorded on January 31, 2024. Excluding these new categories, the total number of police-recorded sexual offenses still saw an increase of 4% (approximately 7,500 offenses) compared to the year ending March 2024.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) offers a different perspective, estimating that approximately 900,000 people aged 16 and over experienced sexual assault in the year ending March 2025. This equates to about 1.9% of the population in that age group. While there was no significant change in the prevalence of sexual assault between March 2024 and March 2025, the CSEW indicates a significant increase in prevalence compared to a decade ago, in the year ending March 2015.

The ONS emphasizes that police-recorded crime figures do not always provide a reliable measure of trends over time, as they are influenced by factors such as improvements in police recording practices and changes in victim reporting. However, these figures do indicate the demand placed on police forces. Public debates often arise regarding the interpretation of crime statistics and their potential links to specific demographic groups, with experts cautioning against drawing unsubstantiated conclusions.

The disparity between police-recorded offenses and victim surveys highlights the complex nature of sexual crime data. Many incidents of sexual assault do not come to the attention of the police, making victim surveys crucial for understanding the true scale of the issue. The ongoing collection and analysis of these statistics aim to inform policy and public understanding of sexual offenses in England and Wales.