Teenage sex-crime victims 'don't report offences as they fear not being believed'

Report from The Children's Society highlights the scale of the problem in England and Wales

An estimated 50,000 girls between the ages of 16 and 17 say they have been victims of sex crimes. File photo (Corbis)

Many teenage victims of sex crimes are not reporting them because they fear not being believed and are suspicious of the justice system, according to a new report.

The scale of the problem in England and Wales is highlighted in new figures obtained and analysed by The Children’s Society.

Through Freedom of Information requests, the charity found that police in England recorded 4,900 sexual offence cases – including exploitation, rape and sexual assaults – against 16- and 17-year-olds in the past year.

But the organisation’s analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales revealed that an estimated 50,000 girls of this age say they have been victims of these crimes. The report shows that half of those who did not report the offence did so because they did not consider it worth reporting, feared going to court, or did not want the perpetrators punished.

The charity said it was a picture reflected by its front-line staff who work with children and young people who have been sexually abused or are at risk of sexual exploitation.

Many do not go to the police fearing they will not be believed or that they will be judged, and others take the same course because they fear the perpetrators or are uncertain about what constitutes crime, consent and sexual exploitation.

The charity said older teenagers who had experienced sexual exploitation faced huge obstacles in getting help. Despite being more vulnerable than other age groups, there is often less protection and support available as they have reached the age of consent. As a result, they are often blamed for putting themselves in risky situations even if they have been groomed with drugs and alcohol.

Matthew Reed, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Too many children are being left to suffer sexual exploitation in silence. These young people are still children and the Government must make sure that the police and other agencies have the means they need in order to keep them safe.”

Press Association