FOI 334/25

REQUEST

Please would you be willing to complete the attached table of outcomes with reference to the following:

1. Between the dates 1/1/23 - 31/8/24

2. Any sexual offences reported where the children are victims, under the age of 16 where the suspect is over 18 (including the making, distributing and viewing of online content)

3. The table requires the No of crimes per outcome and the average number of days the crime was live
   
   

RESPONSE

South Wales Police treats all sexual offences and violence against women and girls as a priority. We are currently a pilot force within Operation Soteria, the Home Office national exemplar for improving the investigation into rape. In October 2021, South Wales Police (SWP) took the steps to introduce bespoke rape investigation teams in each of its local policing units with a view to improving investigations and enhancing services provided to victims. SWP positive outcome rate for rape (charged cases) is currently the highest of the forty-three forces in England and Wales; however, along with police and criminal justice partners nationally, we are working hard to enhance the number of successful outcomes in future.

We have consulted with our analysts who have conducted a search for all crimes that received an outcome between 1^st January 2023 and 31^st August 2024 where ‘Rape’, ‘Other serious sexual offences’ and ‘Other sexual offences’ have been selected under the ONS (Office for National Statistics) Group and where the Home Office code ‘86/2 – Take/ make / distribute indecent photographs or pseudo- photographs, of children’ has also been selected.

Please see the attached document entitled ‘Response Data 334_25’ that shows the number of crimes where the victim is below 16 and one or more offenders are aged 18 or above.

As this request asks for crime outcomes, where there is more than one offender per crime, this has only been counted once. Therefore, the figures show the number of crimes and not the number of offenders.

Please note that this search has been conducted under the outcome date and not by the reported date. This means that any results brought back will relate to crimes that received an outcome between 1^st January 2023 and 31^st August 2024 and not when the incidents were first reported. Therefore, results retrieved may contain incidents that were reported before 1^st January 2023.

Please also be advised that in relation to question 3, our analysts do not record the average number of days each crime was live. Therefore, South Wales Police does not hold the information to answer this part of your request. In addition, a public authority is not obliged to create information in order to respond to a Freedom of Information request.

Where you have asked for ‘suspects’, a table has been included overleaf that provides a breakdown of the categories used for individuals linked to an occurrence who are classed as the ‘Offender’. The information provided is based on the ‘broad’ category.

Abbreviations: 

PIN – Police Information Notice 

TIC – Offences Taken into Consideration 

RTC – Road Traffic Collision 

CPS – Crown Prosecution Service

RESPONSE DATA 334_25

Please find below the meanings of the abbreviations for the outcome type column in the above table:

• CPS – Crown Prosecution Service
• S ill – Suspect ill
• S not identified – Suspect not identified
• VS - Victim supports
• VDNS – Victim does not support
• NSI – No suspect identified
• V aware – Victim aware
• NiPI – Not in public interest