Police Log Nearly Five Child Sex Offences a Day at England and Wales Schools

Police in England and Wales recorded an average of almost five sexual offences a day against children under 13 on or near school premises between 2021 and 2025, according to a Guardian analysis of police data published on Sunday.

The investigation found at least 8,500 such offences — 4.7 reports a day — including nearly 2,000 reports of rape and attempted rape, or roughly one allegation a day, with more than a third of victims aged under 13. In at least 1,890 cases the alleged offender was described as under 18, pointing to fellow pupils as the perpetrators; close to two-thirds of victims were girls.

The data, obtained through freedom of information requests answered by 33 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales, also included 6,140 crimes involving indecent images of children under 18, plus at least 2,300 sexual crimes against children aged 13 to 16 and a further 9,100 against those aged 13 or over, three-quarters of them involving female victims. The Guardian said the true scale is likely higher, since ten forces did not supply data.

England’s children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, described peer-on-peer abuse as “widespread, normalised and too often brushed under the carpet”, calling it a societal problem rather than merely a schools issue. A government spokesperson called the figures “appalling”, citing schools’ statutory safeguarding duties and the Online Safety Act. The National Police Chiefs’ Council called the numbers “deeply concerning” and underlined prevention through age-appropriate education and digital resilience.

Sources

The Guardian’s investigation (full text)

The Sun

UKPulse